It is one of the sexual dysfunctions that affect women, and it affects about 6% -18% of women, which makes normal sexual intercourse almost impossible because of the pain that women feel, no matter how long the marital life lasts.

 

What are the causes of vaginismus disorder?

1.  Heredity : Genetics does not seem to have a significant role in the occurrence of this disorder. 

2.  Gender: This disorder is specific to women, and there is nothing similar to it in men.

3.  Age: This disorder does not appear until after the woman’s marriage and the sexual relationship with the man begins. But it may also appear long after marriage, due to reasons that we will discuss later.

4. The  nature of personality: There is no specific personality style that has a close relationship with vaginismus disorder, but a personality that is predominantly anxious and exaggerated interest in issues of forbidden and defect, may be - at least in theory - more vulnerable to infection than others. 

5.  Social factors : The meaning that women give to the sexual process varies according to culture and social level. Therefore, the patient’s condition should not be assessed in isolation from her social and cultural environment.

6.  Psychological stress: Psychological stress, such as disagreements and mishandling of a man with a woman at the beginning of marital life, may be a cause of women's alienation of men and fear of sexual intercourse, and a lower pain tolerance threshold.

 

 What are the signs of vaginismus disorder?

Symptoms differ from one woman to another, but the symptoms generally are:

•  spasm of the muscles of the pelvis and the vagina , which prevents penetration during sexual intercourse.

•  Feeling of tightness in the muscles of the woman's genitals or pain or burning when trying to penetrate.

•  the loss of the desire to practice or complete the process of nationality.

•  Deliberate avoidance of sexual intercourse.

•  Intense fear and panic of pain during sexual intercourse.

 

 How is vaginismus disorder diagnosed?

There are no tests to know whether a woman suffers from vaginismus disorder, but a capable psychiatrist can, through a psychological interview, know the case and reach the correct diagnosis. The diagnosis is usually made according to the Diagnostic Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders issued by the American Psychiatric Association, in its fifth edition, as follows:

a.   Faced with persistent or repeated difficulty getting penetration during sexual intercourse due to one of the following symptoms:

1.  Feeling of intense fear or anxiety when concerned with or during sexual intercourse.

2.  Feeling real pain in the pelvis and genitals when trying to penetrate.

3.  Cramping in the pelvic muscles, lower abdomen and genitals of a woman when penetration is attempted.

B. 

The complaint continues for a period of not less than 6 months.

T. 

This condition causes severe psychological suffering for the woman and a deterioration in her marital life.

D. 

The above symptoms cannot be explained by another psychological or physical disorder, poor compatibility between spouses in general, or other life pressures that led to a loss of sexual desire in the woman.

 

What are the forms of vaginismus disorder?

Vaginismus disorder has two forms and three degrees:

The two shapes are:

1.   

The form that appears from the beginning of sexual intercourse between spouses.

2.   

The form that appears after a long life and normal sexual intercourse between spouses.

The scores are mild, moderate or severe, depending on the degree of psychological suffering or deterioration of the marital relationship resulting from the condition.

 

Are there other disorders that resemble vaginismus disorder?

 Yes. The first thing that should be done is to ensure that there is no psychological disorder or physical disease in the woman, as there are a number of psychological disorders and physical diseases that may resemble vaginismus disorder or contribute to its emergence, including:

1.  Organic diseases: such as infections of the genitals or urinary tract of women.

2.  Psychological depression: in which physical complaints may appear, but the main focus of its diagnosis is the presence of low mood and other symptoms of depression such as the inability to enjoy and despair and so on.

3.  Psychological anxiety: It is characterized by fear and anxiety about everything new, including marital intercourse at the beginning of marital life.

4.  Being subjected to sexual assault at an early age or hearing horrible stories of this kind.

5.   

Poor sexual education or misinformation about the sexual organs of both sexes and the sexual process.

 

How do I know if I have vaginismus?

Visit the psychological tests section on the success team website www.alnafsy.com , which is supervised by Professor Abdullah Al-Subaie. You may find a test that will help you in this regard. In general, these tests are not sufficient for a diagnosis, but they help - in addition to this information - to identify your suffering, and are not a substitute for a visit to a psychiatrist. 

 

 How can vaginismus disorder be treated?

Many women with vaginismus disorder struggle to accept the idea of ​​visiting a psychiatric clinic, but many of them end up there after exhausting all treatment attempts in women's clinics, surgery, and others. These women can be treated in the psychiatric clinic by:

1. Cognitive behavioral therapy ( CBT ): where women are helped to reduce anxiety and fear, using relaxation techniques, for example. It also contributes to teaching the patient how to recognize misconceptions or negative feelings that are related to sexual intercourse, and adjust them with correct and realistic ones.

 2. Drug therapy: Anti-anxiety medications can help reduce the anxiety and fear associated with sexual intercourse.

 

What can happen if vaginismus disorder is not treated?

A lot can happen if vaginismus disorder is not treated early. Among these things:

1.  Exposing women to unnecessary and useless surgeries, such as the operation to remove the hymen.

2.  Exposing women to use unnecessary and useless medical drugs, such as pain relievers and great sedatives.

3.  The woman is exposed to severe psychological suffering as a result of failure to complete sexual intercourse, and the accompanying feeling of failure, fear, anxiety, and a deterioration in the relationship with her husband, which may threaten marital life and lead to divorce.

4.  Infertility due to the lack of normal marital intercourse, and the resulting questions of family and relatives and the accompanying feeling of shame and embarrassment.

5. The  husband suffers from impotence, which makes the problem complex. Often the husband goes to treatment, unaware that the problem is originally from the wife, so he exposes himself to many tests and treatments that are unnecessary and useless unless the wife is treated as well.

 

How can I help myself if I have vaginismus disorder?

First: By knowing and reading as much as possible about this disorder.

Second: reviewing a qualified and reliable gynecologist to exclude what may be the cause of pain during sexual intercourse.

Third: If you rule out the presence of a physical illness, you can do the following:

1.  Choose a psychiatrist or psychiatrist that you trust in his religion, his honesty, and consult him in your case, then do not go to someone else except with his advice.

2.  Do not ask the doctor to subject you to specific tests, but leave him the option to ask what he wants, as long as you trust him.

3. There is no  need to feel ashamed or guilty. What you are suffering from is a real problem. What you feel is real pain that you are not to blame and not a sign of weakness or deficiency.

4.  Avoid traditional treatments, as they are neither scientifically based nor based on medical knowledge of anatomy or physiology. 

5.  Do not let the curious people and those who do not care about the matter know the specifics of your life, and do not be embarrassed to answer them in a way that stops their embarrassing questions.

6.  Talk to your husband about your feelings and thoughts. You will find help and understanding from him, and do not let him hit fifths by sixths.

 

How can I help my wife if she suffers from vaginismus disorder?

First: By knowing and reading as much as possible about this disorder.

Second: see a qualified and reliable gynecologist to rule out what could be the cause of her pain during sexual intercourse.

Third: If you rule out the presence of a physical illness, you can do the following:

 

1.  Choose a psychiatrist for her or a psychiatrist whom you trust in his religion, his honesty, and consult him in her case, then do not go to someone else except with his advice.

2.  Do not ask the doctor to undergo specific tests, but leave him the option to ask what he wants, as long as you trust him.

3.  Do not blame your wife. What you feel is a disease characterized by fear and real pain, which you should not blame her for.

4.  Women often tend to believe in popular treatments, who may cause more harm than good because their practices are neither scientifically based nor based on medical knowledge of anatomy or physiology. 

5.  Do not allow the curious and those who do not care about the matter, whatever their motives, to see the peculiarities of your lives, and do not be embarrassed to answer them in a way that stops their embarrassing questions.

6.  Remember that your wife’s fear, opposition, and repeated failure of sexual intercourse may cause you psychological impotence. If you feel this, do not worry, and stop trying forcible penetration and enjoy with your wife without that until her problem is properly addressed.

7.  Do not despair, and do not think about divorce, as your wife is not of bad character and does not reject you for yourself. She only feels fear, so be a source of her safety and do not increase her fear of meeting you for fear of leaving you.

8.  Consider your patience with her and your treatment of her against God and consider it a relief for a Muslim's distress.