vaginismus; It is a psychological disorder that occurs as a result of the contraction of the muscles at the entrance of the vagina (female sexual organ), characterized by the anxiety caused by the perception of pain, and resulting in difficulty during sexual intercourse or the inability to have sexual intercourse.
Although it is thought that vaginismus is seen more frequently in societies where taboos on female sexuality are felt more intensely, its rate in the general population is not known exactly because it is thought that women with such complaints refrain from applying for treatment, so this disorder is often overlooked. Studies have reported that the rate of vaginismus in the general population is between 3% and 13%. While the most common sexual dysfunction is seen in studies conducted in Western societies, there are findings that vaginismus is the most common sexual dysfunction in studies conducted in our country. This is due to the fact that taboos on female sexuality are felt more intensely in eastern societies like ours than in the west, as we have tried to indicate before.
Vaginismus Causes:
As with all other complaints, organic research should be done in a woman who presents with a feeling of pain during sexual intercourse before the vaginismus findings are discussed psychologically. Many sexual organ diseases can cause a feeling of pain during sexual intercourse in women. Many diseases such as vaginal dryness, uterine prolapse (uterine prolapse), infections, endometriosis, genital tumors can cause pain during sexual intercourse in women. Sometimes, in order to avoid the pain caused by these diseases, the woman may appear reluctant to have sexual intercourse and this may be confused with vaginismus. For this reason, the first thing to do is to investigate whether there is another underlying disease that may cause these complaints.
After understanding that there is no other underlying disease, vaginismus can now be approached psychologically. In fact, the state of anxiety experienced by women with vaginismus; It is not much different from phobic individuals who encounter the feared stimulus. For example, a woman who is afraid or afraid of the perception of pain that she thinks she will experience during sexual intercourse, similar to the avoidance reactions of someone who is afraid of dogs when she sees a dog approaching her, may show similar avoidance reactions by covering her legs or pushing her partner when her partner approaches her during the sexual act. This suggests that vaginismus may actually be a kind of phobic reaction. In women with vaginismus, this anxiety response may occur not only during sexual intercourse but also in situations where external intervention is required, such as gynecological examination.
In a study on the fears of vaginismus patients, 57% of these women feared pain or extreme pain, 18% fear of fragmentation or rupture, 17% fear of penile entrapment or locking, 11% fear of fainting or suffocation. It has been reported that only 18% of those who have a fear of pain or pain experienced a feeling of pain during their first sexual intercourse (1). In another study, it was reported that in women diagnosed with vaginismus, fears such as “the vagina is too small to accommodate the penis and the vaginal walls will rupture during vaginal entry”, “if vaginal entry occurs, they will get a disease”, “get dirty” and “become pregnant” contribute to the development of vaginismus. (2).
Let’s Create Your Appointment Together
Let’s choose the right specialist for you together.
Cultural Impact:
Like all other human attitudes and behaviors, sexual attitudes and behaviors are also very open to social and cultural influences. For this reason, the effects of cultural attitudes on the development of sexual dysfunctions cannot be denied. In all human societies, especially in eastern societies, the suppression of female sexuality and virginity have been given great meanings. In male-centered societies, female sexuality can only be perceived as an action performed for the purpose of reproduction and the satisfaction and satisfaction of the spouse. Among the cultural effects that contribute to the occurrence of vaginismus, lack of sexual education, women’s ignorance of their own sexual organs, the exaggerated importance given to the concept of virginity, the fact that sexual experience does not develop gradually but begins with direct sexual intercourse, and taboos in the general understanding of sexuality have an important place. However, nowadays, in western societies, the importance given to virginity before marriage has decreased, and the model of “over-interfering and dependent mother” in child rearing has been gradually moved away; It is seen as a reason why vaginismus is less common than eastern cultures.
In societies where sexuality is seen as a taboo, reliable sources from which individuals can access information about their sexuality are limited. Young individuals who are growing up learn this information from their peers or social media sources whose reliability is questionable, and therefore, the prejudices that develop as a result of sexual ignorance or misinformation; It is clear that excessive anxiety about sexuality, feelings of guilt, unrealistic expectations or fear of failure, and thus sexual dysfunctions. All these opinions; It reveals that a person’s sexual knowledge, religious beliefs, family values and social taboos have a great impact on the emergence of vaginismus.
In the spouses of women with vaginismus disorder, beliefs that they are not wanted and sexually rejected, or feelings of anger, resentment and suspicion can be seen. At this point, it is important to know that vaginismus is a disease, a condition that requires medical intervention like all other diseases. It is not an action that a person does of his own will and will. It is not about whether you want your partner sexually or not, whether you like it or not. The fact that the spouses of women with vaginismus disorder do not personalize this situation is of great importance in terms of both marital relations and the treatment of the disorder due to the pressure it may create on the woman.
Vaginismus Therapy:
Vaginismus is a thought disorder that manifests itself with phobic anxiety symptoms. For this reason, psychotherapy plays a dominant role in the treatment of vaginismus. Vaginismus psychotherapy consists of sex education, teaching sexual exercises and homework. Both of the couples should be present in these therapy meetings, because vaginismus is not only a female disorder, it is a disorder of the couple as a whole, and the male also takes part in the exercise assignments in psychotherapy. In a study conducted in our country, 28 couples were included in vaginismus psychotherapy, and 14 of these couples discontinued therapy after the first interview, and vaginismus psychotherapy was successfully completed in all of the other 14 couples who continued therapy (3). For this reason, continuity in vaginismus therapy is essential for the successful outcome of the treatment.
Conclusion :
Vaginismus is a psychological disorder that is shaped by cultural and social influences and is characterized by fear and anxiety about sexual intercourse. Misconceptions and information about sexuality and gender play a major role in the development of the disease. The leading role in treatment belongs to psychotherapy. The perspective of couples, especially the spouses of women with vaginismus, and their approaches to their spouses during the continuation and process of therapy are as important as psychotherapy itself in terms of treatment.
Resources :
Oktay, M. and Tombul, K. (2003). Psychological examination of 200 Vaginismus cases and their spouses. The New Symposium, 41(3), 115-119.
Crowley, T., Richardson, D., and Goldmeier, D. (2006). Recommendations for the management of vaginismus: BASHH special interest group for sexual dysfunction. International Journal of STD & AIDS, 17, 14-18.
Kabakçı, E. and Batur, B. (2003). Who benefits from cognitive behavioral therapy for vaginismus. Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy, 29(4), 277-288.
