How is Vaginismus Treated?
How is Vaginismus Treated?
If you ask yourself today: “What is vaginismus?” and “How is vaginismus treated?” If you ask questions such as these and suspect that you or someone close to you has vaginismus, please contact a competent, experienced physician without wasting any time.
European Board Certified Sexual Therapist Gynecologist Dr. INFORMATIONAL article about Didem Kurban’s VAGINISMUS TREATMENT..
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Below, we have prepared a detailed guide about vaginismus disease and vaginismus treatment to help you know yourself better, understand yourself better and gain the courage to consult a physician.
What is Vaginismus?
Before giving a detailed medical answer to this question, the most important answer we need to learn as a society is that vaginismus is a disease. Although vaginismus is seen in two out of every ten women in our country today, vaginismus is seen as a deficiency, incompetence or timidity of women, and many women with vaginismus are exposed to psychological violence and pressure by their spouses and their environment. Vaginismus is considered a serious disease by the entire scientific and medical world and must be treated by a specialist physician. The disease can progress seriously if left untreated for a long time or in the wrong hands.
Vaginismus is a type of sexual dysfunction disease that causes a woman to be unable to have intercourse. A woman with vaginismus cannot have sexual intercourse even if she wants to. Unfortunately, this situation is not in the patient’s control. Even if she desires her partner, wants to have intercourse, and can even successfully perform various stages of foreplay, when it comes to intercourse, the muscles in the vagina of the woman with vaginismus contract without her control, the vagina closes itself and does not allow anything to enter.
There are many strong muscles in the vagina, just like other organs of our body. If a woman has vaginismus, the muscles in her vagina contract uncontrollably and the patient may sometimes even close her legs tightly involuntarily.
Some vaginismus patients may have difficulty having intercourse; but they feel unbearable pain or pain during intercourse. Just because they can allow the penis to enter the vagina does not mean that they are healthy individuals who do not suffer from vaginismus. Pain and pain during intercourse are also often a result of vaginismus.
In summary, vaginismus is a disease in which the muscles in the woman’s vagina involuntarily contract and close, preventing her from having sexual intercourse or causing pain. If you think you have similar findings, the second question below may help you understand yourself better.
How is vaginismus understood? What are the symptoms of vaginismus?
Vaginismus symptoms generally vary from person to person, but there are some common and well-known vaginismus symptoms. If you suspect that you have vaginismus, it is useful to read the following vaginismus symptoms that other patients frequently complain about.
The first sentence that women with vaginismus say when they consult a doctor is usually, “I cannot have sexual intercourse with my partner, I feel like an incomplete woman.” It is possible.
And they usually explain the problem of not being able to enter into a relationship as follows:
“During vaginal penetration, I feel as if my vagina is very narrow and there is an obstacle like a wall inside.”
Many patients with this complaint cannot have sexual intercourse at all; Some of them can only get the head of the penis inside. So the relationship often either doesn’t happen at all; or half occurs. At the same time, the biggest symptom described by vaginismus patients is that when the penis attempts to enter the vagina, the vaginal muscles involuntarily contract and close the entrance to the vagina. Many patients even close their legs tightly involuntarily.
- Although she desires her partner, wants to have intercourse and has had successful foreplay, involuntary contraction in the vagina and closure of the entrance when it is time for intercourse.
- Inability of the penis to enter the vagina at all or only a small part of it can enter,
- Stenosis in the vagina and the feeling that there is an obstacle inside,
- Burning, stinging, stinging and aching sensation in the vagina when the penis enters the vagina,
- When the penis approaches the vagina, the patient experiences a panic attack, extreme fear, inability to breathe, anxiety or panic,
- In some patients, not being able to touch the vagina, not allowing anyone else to touch it, or even not wanting to see the vagina,
- In some patients, not only the penis but also suppositories etc. are inserted into the vagina for treatment purposes. medication, tampon pads or not being able to insert even a finger during menstruation,
- Fear of gynecological examination,
- Not allowing vaginal ultrasound during gynecology examination, not being able to have a smear test,
- Over time, withdrawal from sexual intercourse due to fear and anxiety, reluctance,
- In some patients, when intercourse is attempted, contractions occur not only in the vagina, but also in the back, abdomen, hips, shoulders and legs.
All of these complaints may not necessarily be present in every patient. The number of patients who show only one or two of the strong symptoms is also quite high. To summarize, the short answer to the question “how to understand vaginismus” is experiencing problems such as not being able to have intercourse, being afraid of intercourse, or having difficult intercourse that is painful and painful. Please remember that you cannot self-diagnose based on the symptoms you read, and if you have any doubts about the issue or have any of the symptoms of inability to have sexual intercourse, you should immediately consult a doctor.
Does vaginismus occur later?
Yes, vaginismus may occur later. The detailed answer to this question is hidden in the types of vaginismus. There are two types of vaginismus, and one of them is the “later” type of vaginismus. Let’s explain both types in detail.
First type of vaginismus:
Primary Vaginismus
The type of vaginismus, medically called primary vaginismus, is the vaginismus experienced by a woman who has never had sexual intercourse before in her life. In other words, the woman has never experienced sexuality before, does not know that she has vaginismus, and realizes the disease on her first sexual attempt. His first attempt fails, and if he is not treated, his other attempts will continue to fail.
Primary vaginismus patients can generally be treated very easily and quickly.
Second type of vaginismus:
Secondary Vaginismus
Secondary vaginismus patients are people who have vaginismus “later”. In other words, they are people who have had normal and successful sexual intercourse for years, but later developed vaginismus due to a physical or psychological trauma they experienced.
Therefore, yes, vaginismus can occur later.
Secondary vaginismus patients can also be treated 100% successfully.
What causes vaginismus?
Vaginismus, unfortunately, is most common in the Middle East, Far East and Turkey. It is seen in almost one in every ten women in our country and causes a significant number of women to have an unhappy life.
So, what is the cause of vaginismus?
The causes of vaginismus are divided into two groups by doctors.
The most common cause of vaginismus is discussed under the heading of “psychological cause”. In other words, the causes of vaginismus occur due to psychological distress in 90% of patients.
In the remaining 10%, the causes of vaginismus occur due to various congenital deformities and structural disorders in the vagina. These disorders are problems such as the vagina being naturally extra narrow and the hymen being harder and thicker than it should be.
If there is a structural abnormality in the vagina, this is usually resolved with an operation or surgery to correct the relevant abnormality. For example, if there is extra narrowness in the vagina, this problem can be solved with a simple vaginal enlargement surgery; This type of surgery falls into the genital aesthetic category.
Apart from congenital structural disorders, a physical trauma experienced at a certain period of life can also cause vaginismus.
For example, events that cause great pain and suffering, such as a wrong gynecological examination, a very distressing, painful and difficult traumatic birth, any accident related to the genital area, incorrect performance of various genital area surgeries, can cause uncontrolled fear in the person. It may cause vaginismus.
Additionally, women who have been subjected to sexual harassment or rape may also develop vaginismus due to the traumatic and shocking event they have experienced.
However, as we mentioned above, in 90% of women with vaginismus, the reasons are unfortunately psychological. For this group, vaginismus is an anxiety disorder.
So, what are these psychological reasons?
In fact, this part of the subject contains reasons that many women are very familiar with, that they will definitely realize and easily identify when they think about it a little.
It is not a coincidence that the disease is especially common in the Far East, the Middle East and our country.
In our country, where oppression and psychological violence against women are at the highest level, women are raised under heavy pressure since their childhood. They are dictated to suppress and hide themselves under all circumstances, and many women are faced with these pressures during their teenage years.
Many women are unable to share almost any teenage boyfriend or girlfriend with their family, other than the man they choose to marry.
Women are frequently subjected to criticism and pressure even regarding the clothes they wear. They are advised to hide their bodies at all times, whether for religious reasons or not. Many women even face the threat of psychological or physical violence in this regard.
Sexuality is the taboo that has the largest volume among all these pressures. In many families and homes, there are family members who carefully avoid even the use of the word “love”, while almost no words about sexuality are spoken. Throughout society and general social life, women are treated as if they will never make love one day.
He does not receive sexual education from any of his parents or close circle such as his mother, sister or aunt; It seems impossible to even talk about these issues, let alone education.
In this whole series of oppression and prohibitions, women live as if one day they will never make love at all, and as if there was no such thing as “making love” and “sexuality”; He removes sexuality, which was not even mentioned around him for years, from his daily life and daily thoughts; He is getting used to living away from the concept of sexuality.
Additionally, women may hear over-exaggerated horror stories about sexuality from their parents and close circle. For example, often fabricated and exaggerated stories about women suffering a lot on the first night, that they may experience excessive bleeding during the rupture of the hymen, or about people being hospitalized due to pain or bleeding, settle into the subconscious of inexperienced and young women who listen, laying the foundation for a major fear and anxiety disorder.
And as a result, sensitive women, who have been exposed to various pressures, psychological violence and lies/misinformation since childhood, unknowingly contract vaginismus due to the combination of different psychological and emotional disorders they harbor.
What emerges are unhappy women and unhappy marriages who are afraid of the first night, sexual intercourse, and genitals, who cannot touch them, who do not even want to see them, who have moved away from sexuality.
If you have suspicions that you have vaginismus, you can examine your own childhood and life and encounter similar examples.
For example, in the women’s forum called Women’s Club, where many women share their problems, you can see that many women whose marriages were destroyed due to vaginismus and who suffered months of torture and psychological violence shared their experiences. But keep in mind that many women today struggle with vaginismus and you are not alone.
What is the treatment for vaginismus?
Vaginismus treatment is the medical and professional treatment of a woman diagnosed with vaginismus by a specialist doctor using various methods and methods. Many women with vaginismus wonder how vaginismus is treated because they do not want their vagina to be touched and are afraid of even gynecological examination.
How is vaginismus treated?
First of all, you should know that vaginismus is a disease that can be completely treated, no matter how advanced the disease is.
“I wonder if my treatment will be successful?” You don’t need to worry like this. Vaginismus can be treated permanently, quickly and easily.
So, how is vaginismus treated?
In order to start vaginismus treatment, a specialist doctor must first examine the patient. Since we know that many vaginismus patients are afraid of gynecological examination and we are sensitive about this issue, Op. Dr. As Didem Kurban and her team, we perform the gynecological examination of the patient only by observation, without any contact. A specialist doctor can determine in a few minutes whether the patient’s vagina has any physical discomfort, either through visual examination or through questions asked to the patient.
This simple gynecological examination of the patient is actually the most important and basic step for the treatment of vaginismus. During this examination and throughout the rest of the examination, the patient is carefully observed psychologically, and his answers to questions, reactions and the way he expresses himself help to fully diagnose vaginismus and to understand the degree of it.
Gynecological examination before vaginismus treatment and knowledge of the level of the disease, as well as whether the disease is primary or secondary, determine the type of treatment to be applied.
Generally, the following two methods are used for vaginismus treatment:
-Cognitive methods
-Behavioral methods
Cognitive methods are generally therapy methods that do not involve any touching or contact, allowing the patient to raise awareness about sexuality, overcome their fears and anxieties, and gain a different perspective on sexuality.
Behavioral methods, on the other hand, are methods applied together with cognitive methods to strengthen the patient physically, such as training the patient to control the vaginal muscles, as well as awareness-raising therapies.
Finger exercises are one of the terms you will surely encounter when doing research on this subject; But finger exercises are quite uncomfortable for many vaginismus patients who do not even want to touch their vagina. It often causes the fearful response to increase and the disease to become stronger. For this reason, in our clinic, we apply treatment methods that minimize contact and do not involve finger exercises.
Therefore, for the treatment of vaginismus, not a doctor from a single branch works, but a team consisting of different branches to provide gynecological, psychiatric and psychological treatment.
Do not forget that vaginismus treatment should be completely personalized. The same treatment cannot be applied to every patient. Each patient’s conditions are different, and the patient’s condition should be carefully observed and the most appropriate methods should be selected.
For this reason, vaginismus treatment should be undertaken by experienced doctors.
Is online vaginismus treatment beneficial?
Does vaginismus go away on its own?
Will I get vaginismus again after vaginismus treatment?
No, the treatment is absolutely permanent. The awareness and training you gain throughout your treatment will protect you from vaginismus for life.
If you have any suspicion that you have vaginismus, or if you are experiencing problems such as inability to have intercourse or painful intercourse, please do not delay any longer, contact a specialist doctor immediately for easy and quick treatment. For all other questions on your mind, Op. Dr. You can always reach Didem Kurban and her team.