Does it hurt while having sex?

Vaginismus is a condition where there is an involuntary tightening or spasm of the muscles around the vagina, often making penetration painful, difficult, or even impossible. This can occur during sexual intercourse, tampon or menstrual cup insertion, or even during a pelvic exam. It is typically associated with physical and/or psychological factors.

There are two types of vaginismus - primary vaginismus and secondary vaginismus.

Primary Vaginismus - Occurs when a person has always experienced difficulty with penetration since their first attempt.

Secondary Vaginismus - Develops after a period of normal sexual function, often due to trauma, medical conditions, or psychological stress.

The physical causes for it include infections like yeast infection, menopause, hormonal changes, child birth injury, trauma etc. The psychological causes include anxiety, fear of pain, stress. The symptoms can be burning sensation during intercourse, stinginess and avoidance of activities including penetration.

Treatment Options

• Pelvic floor therapy:

Exercises to relax the vaginal muscles.

• Counseling or sex therapy:

Addresses psychological factors like fear or trauma.

• Gradual desensitization:

Use of vaginal dilators to gradually train the muscles.

• Medications: 

For underlying issues like infections or hormonal imbalances.

Vaginismus is completely treatable. If you are someone struggling with vaginismus, choose the appropriate treatment option, and then you will be able make a significant improvement.