When Sex Always Hurts: Dealing With Vaginismus

[Heather34]

Hi all. There is an excellent new article published that discusses vaginismus in detail and explores various treatment methods, including Dr. Pacik’s Botox treatment program:

http://www.refinery29.com/2014/07/71427/vaginismus#page-1

The Diagnosis

The article begins with a patient receiving the diagnosis of vaginismus.

The author writes: “My vaginal muscles were having a spasm, similar to the way the epiglottis closes entry to the trachea when swallowing food. My vagina, I thought, was smart. It was protecting me against the evils of this doctor’s plastic stick. The doctor looked concerned. “Have you had sex before?” He asked. My eyes began to water. “Yes,” I said, beginning to cry, “But, it was always painful.” Eventually the doctor told me that, along with ovarian cysts, I had a condition known as vaginismus.”

Where Does Vaginismus Come From?

The article goes on to examine where vaginismus comes from.

The author writes: “The vaginismus studies of Irving Binik, PhD, show that phobia — a fear of vaginal penetration and pain — is what causes the involuntary spasm.Professor Binik explains that it’s unknown how most phobias develop. Past traumatic experiences, which may seem like natural correlations, are not necessarily the cause.”

Treatment

The article goes on to explore various treatment methods.

The author writes:

“In 2014, the main treatment for vaginismus is a combination of physical and psychological therapies … [M]ost sex therapists start women on kegel exercises to learn to voluntarily tighten and relax that PC muscle around the vagina. From there, the patient moves on to a set of dilators … Women get used to inserting these, starting with the smallest and working their way to wider dilators.”

and

“Those with severe cases of vaginismus (who have tried the dilator method without success) have gone the Botox route. Dr. Pacik, the plastic surgeon who developed the Botox treatment program for vaginismus, successfully treated 275 patients since 2005 and continues to have a 97% success rate. Botox injections (which calm the vagina muscles, making penetration possible) are administered when the patient is under anesthesia, and a dilator is then inserted. So, the woman wakes up with the dilator painlessly inside her and finds that penetration is indeed possible. Dr. Pacik adds that “just treating with Botox is not enough…you really have to treat some of the emotional issues…””

The article is very well-written in all regards and I commend the writer for working hard to further spread the word about both the condition of vaginismus and the various treatment methods available.