We've all heard of Erectile Dysfunction. However, there exists a rather troublesome and downright painful sexual condition that effects thousands of women in the UK alone.
Vaginismus. What is it?
Vaginismus is the body's autonomous reaction to the fear of vaginal penetration. Whenever any penetration of the vagina is attempted, the vaginal muscles will contract and tighten involuntarily. This means that you have absolutely no control over your vaginal muscles. You can even get Vaginismus out of the blue, even if you've previously enjoyed painless penetrative sex.
What it does not do
Vaginismus does not usually affect your ability to become aroused, or enjoy other types of sexual contact. External sexual contact of the vulva or clitoris is typically not painful.
What causes Vaginismus?
Usually there is no obvious explanation to the condition. However there are a few things that doctors believe can cause the condition:
- fear that your vagina is too small
- a bad first sexual experience
- an unpleasant medical examination
- a belief that sex is shameful or wrong
- a painful medical condition, like thrush
Is there a cure?
Unfortunalty there is no known cure for Vaginismus, however there are a number of methods that can help alleviate the pain and ease the muscles. These include:
- Therapy
- Relaxation techniques
- Pelvic floor exercises
- Sensation focus
- Vaginal trainers
Can sex toys help?
The answer is yes. You can buy special dilators for the vagina (these are available on request here at Scandals). These just help get the vagina used to having something of substantial size inside of it. It also goes without saying, that any Vaginismus sufferer should have a well stocked lubricant supply. Any type of lube will do, however we would stay away form the tingling lubes, just until the vagina is loose enough to have full penetrative sex.
