Vaginismus

Vaginismus occurs when the muscles of the vagina go into involuntary spasm in response to an attempt at penetration, for example tampon insertion, sexual intercourse or medical examination. This response is involuntary and can be compared to the way an eye blinks when it is approached by an object. Vaginismus is divided into primary vaginismus (woman has never been able to have penetrative sex) and secondary vaginismus (woman has previously enjoyed normal sexual relationships). Possible causes include sexual abuse (actual, attempted or witnessed), rape, fear or anticipation of intercourse pain, lack of proper sex education, fear of pregnancy, difficult childbirth and generalised anxiety. Vaginismus is not associated with genital abnormalities or low libido.