A Hidden Struggle: An Exploration of the Experiences of People with Vaginismus.

Scoping Literature Review

Vaginismus is a condition in which vaginal penetration is prevented, made difficult or painful because of a persistent, involuntary spasm of the vaginal muscles. This scoping review mapped the extent, range, and nature of qualitative research on experiences of people with vaginismus. Twelve papers were identified, to which relevant study characteristics, aims, and the themes derived from the results were extracted using a charting tool and summarised. Frequent themes from the included studies surrounded the experiences and impact of vaginismus on gender, sexuality, and relationships, with broader themes reflecting a biopsychosocial model of impact, especially the psychosocial factors. Importantly, the included studies lacked exploration of how experiences are impacted by different demographics and intersectionality. The findings call for wider discussion and research exploring the experiences of people with vaginismus given that the available literature was found to be limited.

Research Project

Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was used to explore eight women’s experiences of self-diagnosed primary vaginismus. Three themes were developed from the data, each containing subthemes: (1) Understanding vaginismus (‘feeling pain and penetration’, ‘mind body dualism’ and ‘the threat of pain or penetration’); (2) Blocked from reaching ‘normality’ (‘conceptualising normal’ and ‘layered levels of shame, inadequacy, and flaws’); and (3) Care (from others and the self) (‘professional healthcare’, ‘personal care’ and ‘motivation to seek support’). Participants’ experiences reflected psychosocial impacts of vaginismus and demonstrated the influence of cultural and broader social determinants. Findings emphasised the importance of developing holistic interventions to support people with vaginismus which take into consideration the meaning individuals make of their experiences. It is also important to consider challenging unhelpful norms and perceptions of sex and penetration, and advocating for more awareness of vaginismus, to help reduce shame and stigma.