Vaginismus is a sexual pain disorder that can have a profound impact on wellbeing and sense of self. It is due to the pelvic floor muscles spasming and can result in vaginal penetration being painful to impossible. It is reported to affect between one and seven per cent of women, but this is likely an underrepresentation due to limited awareness, shame or stigma, and a perceived lack of treatment options.
New research from Western Sydney University has explored the relationship between patients seeking help for this condition and their sense of self.
Authors conducted a qualitative study using semi-structured interviews, with 21 participants between the ages of 19 and 37 who had received a diagnosis of vaginismus. Researchers collected and coded the transcript data to identify patterns and commonalities across interviewees.
Some key themes that came across in the interviews were a sense that painful sex affected participants’ perception of their womanhood – feeling like ‘less of a woman’ due to the condition.
Importantly for clinicians, participants spoke about factors that encouraged help-seeking, including empathic practitioners who considered patients holistically and recognised the impact the condition could have on mental health, emotional wellbeing and personal relationships.
Participants also spoke to both the physical pain and the experience of seeking help being exhausting and stressful, affecting their sense of agency and mental wellbeing.
Offhand responses by health practitioners could stay with patients for a long time, affecting their sense of self. However, those who demonstrated a willingness to provide support could help empower patients and drive their own sense of self-efficacy.
The authors broadly suggest that concerns about pain during sex are often dismissed/minimised, leading to misdiagnosis, misinformation and incorrect treatment. They saw that sexual pain is often thought of by health professionals as a solely physical issue, with the impact on sense of self and identity not considered.
Given the ongoing stigma associated with raising these topics and help-seeking, discouraging or dismissive offhand comments by health practitioners can have a significant impact and be disempowering – but this also points to the power of well-informed and empathic clinicians in shaping positive outcomes for people experiencing this condition.
Further information
The interrelationship between women’s help-seeking experiences for vaginismus and their sense of self: a qualitative study and abductive analysis: Taylor & Francis Online
The Third Act: My Doctor
Vaginismus fact sheet: Jean Hailes