Female Sexual Dysfunction: Vaginismus, Types and Symptoms

Vaginismus: 

is a condition which affects a woman's ability to engage in any form of vaginal penetration, including sexual penetration, insertion of tampons, and the penetration involved in gynecological examinations. This is the result of a conditioned reflex of the pubococcygeus muscle, which is sometimes referred to as the 'PC muscle'. The reflex causes the muscles in the vagina to tense suddenly, which makes any kind of vaginal penetration -- including sexual penetration -- either painful or impossible.

Vaginismus has two major classifications:

Vaginismus can be experienced by women at any age or time in life. It has two major classifications; primary vaginismus and secondary vaginismus.

Primary Vaginismus

Primary vaginismus usually refers to the experience of vaginismus with ‘first-time’ intercourse attempts. Typically, primary vaginismus will be discovered when a woman attempts to have sex for the very first time. The spouse/partner is unable to achieve penetration and it is like he ‘bumps into a wall’ where there should be the opening to the vagina and entry is impossible or extremely difficult. Primary vaginismus is the common cause of sexless, unconsummated marriages. Some women with primary vaginismus will also experience problems with tampon insertion or gynecological exams.

  

Secondary Vaginismus

Secondary vaginismus usually refers to the experience of vaginismus a little later in life, after a period of pain-free intercourse, and typically following temporary pelvic problems. A woman may have had a number of years of being able to have normal, pain-free intercourse and then experience a temporary pain-causing problem such as a yeast infection (or any of a wide range of physical problems). The initial pain problem may have been addressed medically, healed, or been managed, and yet the woman continues to experience ongoing troubles with sexual pain. In some cases, the severity of secondary vaginismus could escalate to the level that penetration becomes difficult, painful, or impossible. It can also impede a woman’s ability to experience orgasms, as a sudden pain spasm may abruptly terminate the arousal buildup toward orgasm. Some women with secondary vaginismus will also experience difficulty with gynecological exams or tampon insertion due to involuntary tightness.

Vaginismus is involuntary - not intentional

It is important to note that vaginismus is not triggered deliberately or intentionally by women. It happens involuntarily without their intentional control and often without any awareness on their part. Vaginismus has a variety of causes, often in response to a combination of physical or emotional factors. The mystery of the problem can be very frustrating and distressing for both women and their partners.