Open your browser to start looking for the new TV show to binge, and you’re more than likely to see an ad about the new drug erectile dysfunction. You’ll be attacked by images of middle-aged couples having wine on a terrace or holding hands while each is in an individual tub. You’ll get really uncomfortable, not because of the pill, but because these are the most awkward 30 seconds of your life. And yet, there never seems to be enough medication available for men to enjoy their sexuality. On the other hand, women’s sexual problems are rarely discussed publicly. Because if they were, we’d all be aware of a problem that affects women in the same way that erectile dysfunction affects men. It’s called vaginismus.
Vaginismus is often confused with dyspareunia, which refers to having pain during intercourse. And, there’s a reason why that happens. But while dyspareunia can be caused by inflammation, endometriosis, vaginitis, drug side effects, or infection, vaginismus has to do with the muscles tightening to the point that men have claimed that attempting intercourse felt like hitting a wall. Like dyspareunia, vaginismus can have physical causes as well as psychological and, at times, the person can have both conditions at the the same time. But the biggest difference is that vaginismus, being caused by pelvic muscles spasms, means that some of the women who have it don’t just have issues with sex. They can’t even get a tampon in there. It’s not only painful, it feels as if their vagina has closed up.
Why does this happen? Many health professionals compare it with the reaction we involuntarily shut our eyes when they’re being checked. Some people will have it their whole lives, while others will face the problem at some point. It’s the body’s response to something it thinks will be painful. So even if a woman is aroused, if she’s feeling anxious towards intercourse because she’s worried because of her strict upbringing, getting pregnant, or just feeling pain, her muscles will react this way. It takes more than just a pill to solve this problem.
What if your whole life you’d heard that sex was a filthy act, would you feel comfortable trying it? As much as you wanted to experience pleasure, if you’ve never actually researched and understood more about it, there’d be a voice in the back of your mind reminding you that you’re doing a “bad” thing. If you were a survivor of sexual assault, it would take more than just trusting and loving your partner to feel safe again. If your first encounter with a foreign object touching your vagina, be it a tampon or any device at the gynecologist’s, felt wrong or uncomfortable, you’d need to find a way to tell your body not to be scared. All these situations can cause vaginismus, because they’re all moments when the body has felt the need to protect that area, hence the tight muscles.
Treatment for this condition needs to be holistic, since it’s more than just physical or just psychological. While there are plenty of websites for vaginal dilators to help women control their pelvic floor (the packages contain objects that resemble four dildos of different sizes), Tara Ford, PA-C at the Center for Vulvovaginal Disorders, explains that many women buy them “with the best intentions only to find they’re too fearful to even open the box when they arrive.” She explains that the process needs to include counseling and progressive dilation, but might also require other processes depending on the patient.
An important thing to note is that this condition affects every woman differently. Some women have explained they’d had a completely regular experience with sex and using tampons throughout their life, and then they suddenly began having trouble, after childbirth, surgery, or when they were worried about getting pregnant.
Vaginismus, like dyspareunia and other vulvovaginal disorders, is a condition that is not covered by most insurance companies or social healthcare. It could be due to it’s taboo nature or that because it’s a complicated sexual dysfunction to understand and treat. However, we can only hope that as we begin to understand it more, it’s mystery can fade in order for more women to not be afraid of seeking treatment and finding a solution.
Looking for information on the history of the orgasm or the issues women face because of generic sex advice?
Images by Jesse Herzog
