“Vaginismus is painful, involuntary contractions of the vaginal muscles. Vaginismus can be caused by past traumatic experiences, religious prohibitions, anxiety, or fear of penetration. It can make intercourse difficult and painful or impossible”, (Kolander, 2013 p. 223). According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, these spasms can interfere with intercourse and medical exams. “Vaginismus is commonly described as a persistent difficulty in allowing vaginal entry of a penis or other “objects” (e.g., tampons, fingers, speculum), despite the woman’s expressed wish to do so. Lifelong vaginismus is diagnosed when a woman has never been able to have intercourse. The prevalence rates vary between 0.4 and 6.0% in a general population. Research on the etiology of vaginismus is scarce, and no definitive cause has been identified. A fear-avoidance model for vaginismus is described. Gradual exposure therapy is nearly always combined with relaxation instruction. Only a few randomized and controlled effect studies have been conducted until now. The success (intercourse is possible) of these few studies varied greatly. The treatment success of exposure-type treatments is significantly greater than that of therapies that combine multiple treatment techniques”, (Kuile, 2017).

“Dyspareunia is pain that comes during or after intercourse”, (Kolander, 2013 p. 223). “Vulvovaginal atrophy is associated with a significantly higher prevalence/incidence of depression, major depressive disorder, and anxiety. The higher prevalence/incidence and greater differences in younger women highlight the need for a multidisciplinary approach and early diagnosis/management of vulvovaginal atrophy”, (Moyneur, 2020). “It has previously been suggested in the literature that ultrasound measurement of total vaginal wall thickness (TVT) differs significantly between pre- and postmenopausal women, indicating that it may be a useful and noninvasive objective assessment to correlate the degree of vaginal atrophy to patient-reported symptoms”, (Balica, 2019). “Hormone therapy remains the most effective treatment for menopausal symptoms but decisions are complex, requiring an assessment of benefits and risks and determination of best treatment type, dose, and duration”, (Pinkerton, 2019).

The videos were really interesting explaining how orgasms, are they for pleasure or for reproduction purposes? It is interesting how in the first video, an MRI machine shows 30 different areas in the brain are lit up in the addiction and pleasure center. It was also interesting how in the second video, the Doctor realized by injecting oxytocin, can influence the speed and direction of sperm.

References

Balica, A. C., Cooper, A. M., Mckevitt, M. K., Schertz, K., Wald-Spielman, D., Egan, S., & Bachmann, G. A. (2019). Dyspareunia Related to GSM: Association of Total Vaginal Thickness via Transabdominal Ultrasound. The Journal of Sexual Medicine, 16(12), 2038–2042. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsxm.2019.08.019

Kolander, C.A., Ballard, D.R., & Chandler, C.K. (2013). Contemporary Women’s Health: Issues for Today and the Future (5th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw Hill Higher Education.

Kuile, M. M. T., & Weijenborg, P. T. M. (2017). A Woman Who Never Could Have Coitus: Treatment of Lifelong Vaginismus. Bio-Psycho-Social Obstetrics and Gynecology, 297–309. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-40404-2_17

Moyneur, E., Dea, K., Derogatis, L. R., Vekeman, F., Dury, A. Y., & Labrie, F. (2020). Prevalence of depression and anxiety in women newly diagnosed with vulvovaginal atrophy and dyspareunia. Menopause, 27(2), 134–142. https://doi.org/10.1097/gme.0000000000001450

Pinkerton, J. V., Conner, E. A., & Kaunitz, A. M. (2019). Management of Menopause and the Role For Hormone Therapy. Clinical Obstetrics and Gynecology, 62(4), 677–686. https://doi.org/10.1097/grf.0000000000000487

U.S. National Library of Medicine. Vaginismus: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia. MedlinePlus. https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/001487.htm.

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