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Recently, Meghan Trainor confessed to not being able to walk after sex on a podcast. For the longest time, the Made You Look singer thought she had a “tiny” vagina while her husband, actor Daryl Sabara, was “well endowed”. “I was told I have something called vaginismus,” she revealed on the Workin’ On It podcast.
Explaining the condition, Dr Uma Vaidyanathan, senior consultant, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Fortis Hospital, says, “Whenever penetration is attempted, the vaginal muscles tighten up and the partner gets a feeling of ‘hitting a wall’.” Explaining how one can tell if they have the condition, she adds, “If there is pain during vaginal penetration(even with tampon) and inability to have sex or a pelvic exam.” Dr Gunjan Bhola, associate director, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Marengo Asia Hospitals, adds, “It is a relatively common and under-diagnosed condition, as every three out of four women go through painful sex at some point in their lives.”
There are two types of vaginismus — primary and secondary. In primary vaginismus, a woman is unable to engage in pain-free sex due to muscular contraction. “In secondary vaginismus, one has had sex before but is unable to do so later,” informs Dr Anjali Kumar, director, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, CK Birla Hospital.
Who’s at risk?
Any woman can experience vaginismus at any age. Some of the physical risk factors include recent childbirth, family members with similar conditions, a history of urinary tract infections (UTIs), or yeast infections. The psychological and social symptoms are: trauma due to sexual assault or childhood sexual abuse; trauma from a medical procedure involving vaginal insertion; or trauma resulting from different socio-economic factors.
“I came across a case years ago where penetrative sex was painful in a newly married couple. It created strife in their marriage. When I tried to examine her in OPD, she didn’t let me touch her. I felt it was probably a tough, thick hymen that was causing the problem. We had to examine her under anesthesia and do a hymenectomy. Later, we taught her how to use vaginal dilators. Gradually with counseling and a very supportive partner, her discomfort disappeared. She is now a happy mother of two beautiful children,” shares Dr Vaidyanathan. Also, Dr. Bhola shares that she has seen couples who even after being married for 3 years didn’t have sex even once because of vaginismus.
‘It’s normalised’
A lot of stigma surrounds vaginismus, as it’s considered a sensitive matter. “Painful sex for women is normalised not only in India but around the world,” says Dr Kumar. Agreeing, Dr Vaidyanathan says, “Women are conditioned into believing that they will outgrow painful sex over time.” “Women are not open about their sexual problems. In most cases, it doesn’t matter to the husband whether his partner is in pain or discomfort. Also, in terms of pleasure, it’s a general belief that the male counterpart should be satisfied,” says Dr. Usha Priyambada, Sr. Consultant – Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Asian Hospital.
The solution
Proper counselling, vaginal dilator training and non-judgmental attitude of the carer are crucial to treatment. “After diagnosis, treatments focus on managing negative emotions related to penetration. Also, pelvic floor exercises help patients regain control of their vaginal muscles. The treatment has a success rate of more than 95%,” says Dr Bhola.
Myths about vaginismus:
-It’s all in the mind
-People who don’t like sex experience pain
-The pain will go away
-It’s a normal condition that doesn’t need any treatment
-Only someone who has never had sex will have it
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