Contents:
- Medical Video: Vaginismus | Vaginal Tightness | Cause and Treatment
- What are the causes of vaginismus?
- Various ways to treat vaginismus
- Kegel Gymnastics
- Sex therapy
Medical Video: Vaginismus | Vaginal Tightness | Cause and Treatment
Sex should be a romantic activity and most anticipated by couples. However, some women always feel pain every time they have sex so that sex becomes a terrible scourge. Pain complaints during sex are generally caused by vaginismus, a disorder that makes the pelvic floor muscles even twitch and tighten tightly so that the vagina closes when getting stimulated. As a result, penetration is very painful or even impossible to do. Is there a way to deal with vaginismus?
What are the causes of vaginismus?
Vaginismus can make sex painful because of various causes, both physically and emotionally.
Generally, trauma from sexual violence in the past, negative mindset about sex, fear of being pregnant, pregnancy problems (body image), problems in the relationship itself, drug or postoperative side effects, and medical conditions such as infection or a history of vaginal injury can trigger vaginismus.
Vaginismus can also be triggered by the lack of pre-sex preparation in women who do not have the above risk factors. For example, foreplay is less long and less steady so the vagina is not really "wet" when the penetration has taken place.
Vaginismus occurs when the brain reads these risk factors as a danger so that it sends signals to the body to protect you from 'threatening things'. Then, the pelvic floor muscles and around the vagina respond by closing themselves.
Various ways to treat vaginismus
Even though it doesn't directly affect sex drive (libido), vaginismus can make a woman reluctant or even afraid to make love because she doesn't want to feel the pain. This condition can gradually become a problem for the affairs of your bed and partner.
Vaginismus can also make you sick when inserting a tampon during menstruation or when the doctor inserts a speculum for a Pap smear test. So, how do you deal with vaginismus?
Kegel Gymnastics
In general, the tightened vagina can be repaired by routinely doing Kegel exercises. The goal is to relax the muscles around the vagina. The way to do Kegel is similar to instinct to tighten the pelvic muscles to resist urination, namely:
- Tighten your pelvic floor muscles and hold for 10 seconds. Do not tighten the muscles of the abdomen, buttocks, or thighs while doing Kegel.
- Relax again.
- Repeat 20 times. You can do Kegel many times a day.
Sex therapy
If the cause of pain during your sex refers to psychological problems, such as trauma and certain fears, consulting a psychologist or sex therapist can be the most appropriate step to overcome vaginismus.
Counseling can be done by yourself or together with your partner to find the best solution together. Relaxation and hypnosis techniques can also increase relaxation and help you feel more comfortable with sexual relations.
In addition, your therapist or doctor who handles you may also recommend using a vaginal dilator. The vaginal dilator is a medical device made from silicon that looks like a dildo sex toy. This tool is inserted into the vagina to make your vagina more elastic, allowing you to do vaginal penetration without pain.
You should still consult with your doctor to find ways to treat vaginismus according to the cause.
