What is vaginismus?

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Vaginismus, a vaguely known term? Already heard once or twice here and there? Yet, today, it affects more than 15% of French women!

What is vaginismus?

Vaginismus is simply a psychological blockage that prevents your body from letting anything enter your vagina. But how is this possible, you might ask? Here are some explanations to help you understand this little-known and still taboo word for most people affected. First of all, vaginismus is not a disease, nothing very serious or fatal. It is simply the result of a psychological blockage, an unconscious reflex, often due to a sexual experience that your body or brain did not accept well.

The body will therefore create a physical blockage so that the pain experienced does not recur. How does this reflex manifest itself? When inserting a foreign body into your vagina such as a finger, a penis or an object of any kind (it all depends on what you prefer...), the pelvic floor muscle, which is located around the vagina, will tighten and cause either slight discomfort, burning, sharp pain or even sometimes a tearing sensation.

The pain is therefore real even though the brain is the trigger. There are different types of vaginismus, which will, most of the time, define the pain experienced and its frequency during sexual intercourse. There is therefore "global" vaginismus, which prevents you from having penetrative sex in all circumstances, or "situational" vaginismus, which will occur with a specific person or object.

Vaginismus can also be "primary" and manifest itself from the first sexual intercourse, or "secondary" and occur after a trauma such as abuse, a phobia of pregnancy, a neurological cause, a sexual identity disorder, insufficient lubrication or even a vaginal infection following radiotherapy treatment of the cervix.

Although 15% of French women suffer from vaginismus, it's not inevitable, and the condition is easily treatable, especially if detected early. And in the meantime, other sexual activities are still possible, as is pregnancy, if you so desire.

This subject has been taboo for too long, women keep silent out of shame, but this should no longer be the case!! Indeed, the longer we wait to treat vaginismus thinking that it will eventually pass, the more difficult it will be to quickly regain a liberated sexuality.

Natural Treatments for Vaginismus >

How to get rid of vaginismus?

First, you have to take your time and not expect results too quickly. To treat vaginismus, you must first know and detect where this trauma comes from.

What's the source of this problem? The answer to this question may be buried deep in your brain and you may need outside help, but don't panic, there are plenty of professionals available for that. The answer to this question is the key to moving forward, so there's no way around it.

You've found the "answer" to this question and your body still won't open up? This is normal; the brain remembers its muscular reflexes, so you need to relearn how to relax and gradually accept external objects or bodies. To do this, doctors and sexologists suggest a series of different exercises to practice every day and over a more or less long period of time.

The first exercise is to detect the problem muscle and contract it. This muscle is located on your southern hemisphere side, it's the one you use to hold your urine (this one has saved us from ridicule dozens of times, hasn't it?! Once detected, you just contract and release it in sets of 20 throughout the day. Don't worry, no one will see what's going on in your panties unless your face betrays your supreme concentration.

The second exercise involves gradually inserting an external object into your vagina. It's recommended to use your own fingers, allowing you to control your entire body. Start by relaxing completely, then insert a single finger. Tame your body and rediscover it gently and without forcing it.

Repeat the exercise daily and for a longer or shorter period depending on your body and how you feel. If you can't do it, don't panic, you'll start again later; it's a lot of work to relearn your body! Then take the plunge, move on to two fingers, then later to three, always without forcing and listening to your body first and foremost. If this exercise doesn't work right away, don't panic, it takes time. Go back to the first one for a while before continuing.

The third exercise involves inserting a foreign body into the vagina. If you have a partner, you can ask them if they would like to help you, or you can do it alone. You can also use what's called a candle kit. No, this isn't a pyromaniac's fantasy; it's a small kit with a few dildo-shaped dilators of different sizes. For this exercise, you need to insert the foreign body daily, without necessarily making any movements. Just so your body gets used to being "inhabited," penetrated. If your body accepts, you can ask your partner or practice small movements yourself, very gently, always with the aim of re-teaching your body new reflexes and understanding it better.

At Gapianne, we recommend the Vagiwell vaginal dilator kit. They have been specially designed to support women suffering from pain during penetration during sexual intercourse.

These different exercises take weeks or months. It may seem long and discouraging, but you have to stick with it (always without forcing it) to get results (a bit like abs and glutes classes, after all). It's also possible that the exercises don't work, in which case all is not lost.

There are plenty of solutions to combat vaginismus with the help of specialists. To recondition your brain and not brainwash it, you can consult hypnosis specialists, psychologists, sexologists, physiotherapists, homeopaths, midwives, or associations. Don't consult by default; choose a specialist you can trust and with whom you feel comfortable. And above all, don't forget, listen to your body first.

Article written by the Junon collective and relayed by Gapianne as part of a collaboration

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