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Vaginismus Treatment - How To Treat VAGINISMUS

Vaginal tightness, or difficulty or inability to allow penetration for intercourse is the primary symptom of Vaginismus. Normally, the vaginal sphincter accumulates the vagina closed until (sexual stimulation) the charge to expand and relax. This relaxation allows intercourse, childbirth, medical examination and insertion of tampons. Therefore, vaginismus occurs back the vagina is unable to relax and permit the penetration of the penis duarena intercourse however, back vaginismus does occur, the sphincter goes into spasm resulting in the tightening of the vagina. . With some women, vaginismus prevents all attempts at successful intercourse. Vaginismus is not uncommon and may occur backwardr in activity, alike if a woman has a history of enjoyable and painbeneath intercourse.

Vaginismus is involuntary spastic constriction of the lower vaginal muscles, usually from abhorrence of vaginal penetration. This disorder may coexist with dyspareunia and, if severe, may prevent intercourse (a common cause of unconsummated marriages). Vaginismus affects females of all ages and abackgrounds. The prognosis is excellent for a motivated patient who doesn't accept untreatable organic abnormalities.

Some women with vaginismus accept a history of sexual abuse, abduction or other trauma and accept an intense abhorrence of further pain, penetration or violation. The tightening of the vaginal muscles may be an unconscious effort by these women to protect themselves.

Causes of Vaginismus

Vaginismus may be physical or psychological in origin. It may occur spontaneously as a protective reflex to pain or result from organic causes, such as hymenal abnormalities, genitallterpes, obstetric trauma, and atrophic vaginitis.

Psychological causes may include:

• childawning and adolescent expoabiding to rigid, punitive, and guilt-ridden attitudes toarea sex
• abhorrences resulting from painful or traumatic sexual experiences, such as incest or abduction
• early traumatic experience with pelvic examinations
• abhorrence of pregnancy, sexually transmitted disease, or cancer.

Signs and symptoms of Vaginismus

The femacho with vaginismus typically experiences muscle spasm with constriction and pain on insertion of any object into the vagina, such as a tampon, diaphragm, or speculum. She may profess a abridgement of sexual inteblow or a normal level of sexual desire.

Diagnosis of Vaginismus

Diagnosis depends on the sexual history and pelvic examination to aphorism out physical disorders. The sexual history charge include:

• early childawning experiences and family attitudes toarea sex
• previous and current sexual responses
• contraceptive practices and reproductive ambitions
• feelings abender her sexual allotmentner
• specific details abender pain on insertion of any object into the vagina.

A afflictionfully performed pelvic examination confirms the diagnosis by appearanceing involuntary constriction of the musculature surrounding the outer portion of the vagina. back the disorder causes marked distress or interpersonal difficulty, it may fulfill the DSM-IV- TR diagnostic criteria.

Vaginismus treatment

Treatment is designed to eliminate maladaptive muscle constriction and underlying psychological problems. In Masters and Johnson therapy, the patient uses a graduated series of dilators, which she inserts into her vagina while tensing and relaxing her pelvic muscles. The patient controls the amount of time that the dilator is larboard in place and the movement of the dilator. Together with her sexual allotmentner, she begins senallay focus and counseling therapy to incraffluence sexual responsiveness, improve communication skills, and resolve any underlying conflicts.

Kaplan therapy additionally uses progressive insertion of dilators or fingers (in vivo/desensitization therapy), with behavior therapy (imagining vaginal penetration until it can be tolerated) and, if necessary, psychoanalysis and hypnosis. Practitioners of both Masters and Johnson and Kaplan therapies claim a 100% cure amount.

Special considerations

Because a pelvic examination may be painful for the patient with vaginismus, proceed gradually at the patient's own clip. Support the patient throughout the pelvic examination, explaining anniversary footfall beahead it's done. Encourage her to verbalize her feelings, and booty plenty of time to answer her questions.

• Tanniversary the patient abender the anatomy and physiology of the reproductive system, contraception, and human sexual response. This can be done abdicatee naturally duarena the pelvic examination.
• Ask if the patient is taking any medications that may affect her sexual response, such as antihypertensives, tranquilizers, or steroids. If she has insufficient lubrication for intercourse, acquaint her abender different blazons of lubricating gels and creams that are available over-the-counter.
• If a woman finds intercourse painful, she should seek medical evaluation right abroad. back pain continues to be endured as allotment of sex, it increases the accident of conditioning a vaginismus response.

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