Vaginismus is an uncontrollable and painful spasm of the muscles that surround the vagina. It happens when something is about to be put into the vagina, like a tampon, penis, or medical device.
Copyright © Nucleus Medical Media, Inc.
Vaginismus is often a response to past sexual trauma or other painful events. In some women, the cause is not clear.
Things that may raise the risk of this problem are:
The main problem is not being able to have sex without pain. Some women may also have pain during pelvic exams or when inserting a tampon.
The doctor will ask about your symptoms and health history. A physical and pelvic exam will be done. This is often enough to make the diagnosis.
The cause will need to be treated. The goal is to ease spasms. Choices are:
There are no known guidelines to prevent this health problem.
American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
http://www.acog.org
Family Doctor—American Academy of Family Physicians
http://familydoctor.org
Sex Information and Education Council of Canada
http://www.sieccan.org
Sexuality and U—The Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada
http://www.sexualityandu.ca
Crowley T, Goldmeier D, et al. Diagnosing and managing vaginismus. BMJ. 2009 Jun 18;338:b2284, commentary can be found in BMJ 2009 Aug 11;339:b3267.
Female sexual dysfunction. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at: https://www.dynamed.com/condition/female-sexual-dysfunction. Accessed February 23, 2021.
Vaginismus. Cleveland Clinic website. Available at: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/15723-vaginismus. Accessed February 23, 2021.
Vaginismus. Merck Manual Professional Version website. Available at: https://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/gynecology-and-obstetrics/sexual-dysfunction-in-women/vaginismus?query=Vaginismus. Accessed February 23, 2021.
Last reviewed December 2020 by EBSCO Medical Review Board Beverly Siegal, MD, FACOG