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Objective: There is a lack of research on women's holistic experiences of vaginismus, also called sexual pain-penetration disorder, from their perspective. To address this gap, an abductive qualitative study aimed to examine women's help-seeking experiences for vaginismus, and its impact on their sense of self. Methods: This study was informed by a feminist approach to the theory of self focused on participants' negotiation of dis/empowerment when help-seeking for vaginismus. Twenty-one participants aged 19–37 years (mean 27.6 years) and diagnosed with vaginismus in Australia participated in semi-structured interviews, which were thematically analysed. Results: Three themes were developed: Interconnected constructions of womanhood and help-seeking, Elicit agency to move forward, Resilience to surmount challenges with subthemes. Participant's overall help-seeking experiences, within and outside the healthcare system, shaped their sense of self in ways that drove their approach/es to future help-seeking behaviours. Conclusions: Positive help-seeking experiences for vaginismus strengthened participants' sense of self to persevere with treatment even when it was difficult. Conversely, negative help-seeking experiences led to participants' weakened sense of self which was often caused by a gap between their ideal and perceived self. This led to negative feelings and responses of demotivation or halting subsequent help-seeking. Recommendations are provided to improve health professional practice to support women help-seeking for vaginismus, and to help close the gap between their ideal and perceived selves. Such insight can help to empower women's sense of self and motivate them to persevere with help-seeking to experience improvement for their vaginismus and quality of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sexual pain and difficulties with sexual intercourse in women, formerly diagnosed as dyspareunia and vaginismus and reconceptualised as genito-pelvic pain/penetration disorder (DSM-5) or sexual pain-penetration disorder (ICD-11), have caused widespread discussions in the clinical and scientific community for decades, mainly due to differential-diagnostic difficulties. Meanwhile, their developmental origin has remained under-theorised. Standard diagnostic guidelines like ICD or DSM lack psychodynamic considerations about their origins. Valuable approaches to understanding those phenomena have been commonly neglected. The aim of this study was to compare inductively obtained information from women with experiences with vaginismus (n=17) and dyspareunia (n=11) about their relationships with primary caregivers from biographic-narrative interviews. Our mixed-method analysis involved two steps: a first qualitative assessment drew on psychoanalytically informed research principles and the development of a coding frame, which was used by two independent raters to code the material; in a second step, coded experiences were statistically compared between the two groups using Fisher's exact tests to explore similarities and differences. Integrating results with theoretical psychodynamic work, we suggest that the postulation of interactional functions of conversion and somatisation, based on early experiences with primary objects, adds significantly to the conceptualisation of dyspareunia and vaginismus. Results indicate that vaginismus might represent a conversion symptom with a triangulating function, whereas dyspareunia might be understood as a form of somatisation and serves the purpose of replacing the primary object. The results are discussed in the light of previous theoretical outlines of women's genital pain and includes strengths and limitations of our proposition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite its universal prevalence, vaginismus remains under-researched. This paper explores various understandings of vaginismus, including the medical understanding of vaginismus as a spasmic response, which has underpinned much of the symptom focused approaches of behavior and cognitive therapies that have dominated the field of sex therapy to date. This symptom-focused approach has been criticized as reductionist with many authors supporting a more holistic approach to both understanding vaginismus and treating this condition. One of the predictors of successful treatment for vaginismus is the attribution of the problem to psychological causes rather than physical. In order to fully understand vaginismus, it must be explored at intrapersonal, interpersonal and cultural levels and of all of these the interpersonal level continues to be under researched. Incorporating a biopsychosocial and experiential approach into perspectives on vaginismus could be of benefit to therapists working with individuals or couples who present with vaginismus in their practice. A multidisciplinary approach to the treatment of vaginismus is more appropriate to effectively respond to and resolve the complex nature of this distressing sexual difficulty for women and men in adult intimate relationships. Some guidance, informed by this literature review, is offered here to such practitioners. Vaginismus occurs when a woman's pelvic muscles involuntarily tighten, preventing penetrative sex. This review outlines an understanding of vaginismus that incorporates biological, psychological and social aspects in order to explain the myriad of factors that can contribute to the vaginismic response and offers a holistic approach to treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Genito-pelvic pain penetration disorders involve a variety of sexual disorders associated with persistent pelvic pain, among which vulvodynia/vestibulodynia, dyspareunia, and vaginismus are usually found. The purpose of the current systematic review is to examine the efficacy of Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation in women with genito-pelvic pain penetration disorders. Methods A wide search of the literature was performed for articles indexed on PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Science Direct. This systematic review was registered on the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) database (RD42023443931). It was reported according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis standards. Results A total of five studies with 208 women with genito-pelvic pain penetration disorders were included. Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation was applied either isolated or combined with other treatments, such as manual intravaginal techniques, pelvic floor muscle exercises, or pharmacological treatments. The number of sessions of the treatment ranged from 8 to 24 sessions, and the duration of the applied stimulus varied from 20 min to 30 min. After the intervention, pain, dyspareunia severity, the strength and endurance of pelvic floor muscles, and sexual function significantly improved in the experimental group, and at the 3 months follow-up. Conclusions Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation improved the pain, dyspareunia severity, strength and endurance of pelvic floor muscles, and sexual function at the end of the intervention and at the 3 months follow up in patients with genito-pelvic pain penetration disorders. The use of additional treatments or techniques could also be beneficial in the treatment of these women due to the multifactorial origin of the disorder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista de Psicoterapia is the property of Revista de Psiquiatria y Psicologia Humanista, S.L. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Purpose: While it is common to hear of men who ‘can't get it up’ due to erectile dysfunction, people rarely discuss the women who ‘can't get it in’. These women often meet the criteria for sexual pain-penetration disorder (SPPD), which makes vaginal penetration painful or difficult. Lacking awareness of SPPD and the changing terminology from vaginismus to SPPD complicates help-seeking. Yet, there is lacking research on women's help-seeking experiences for SPPD. Therefore, this study aimed to examine Australian women's subjective experiences of formal and informal help-seeking for their SPPD to gain information, diagnosis, treatment, and support. Methods: Help-seeking theory informed the study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 21 participants who sought help for their SPPD, which were inductively thematically analysed. Results: Five major themes were developed. (1) Recognition that help-seeking is necessary varied depending on participants' presentation of SPPD. (2) Initiating help-seeking included accessing first points of contact and gaining diagnosis. (3) Management of symptoms with treatment involved conventional, complementary, and alternative treatments. Women discussed using sex toys as alternatives to vaginal trainers, the correlation between negotiating pain thresholds and treatment progress, and their perceptions towards Botox and nerve blocks. (4) Traverse formal healthcare networks facilitated or hindered help-seeking. (5) Navigation of un/supportive informal networks included women's partners, family, friends, and online communities. Conclusions: The benefit of self-help kits, and complementary and alternative treatments for SPPD should be evaluated. Recommendations involve improving health professionals' approaches, including in online spaces. Women's immediate informal support networks should be engaged in healthcare management.

Objective There is a lack of research on women’s holistic experiences of vaginismus, also called sexual pain-penetration disorder, from their perspective. To address this gap, an abductive qualitative study aimed to examine women’s help-seeking experiences for vaginismus, and its impact on their sense of self.Methods This study was informed by a feminist approach to the theory of self focused on participants’ negotiation of dis/empowerment when help-seeking for vaginismus. Twenty-one participants aged 19–37 years (mean 27.6 years) and diagnosed with vaginismus in Australia participated in semi-structured interviews, which were thematically analysed.Results Three themes were developed: Interconnected constructions of womanhood and help-seeking, Elicit agency to move forward, Resilience to surmount challenges with subthemes. Participant’s overall help-seeking experiences, within and outside the healthcare system, shaped their sense of self in ways that drove their approach/es to future help-seeking behaviours.Conclusions Positive help-seeking experiences for vaginismus strengthened participants’ sense of self to persevere with treatment even when it was difficult. Conversely, negative help-seeking experiences led to participants’ weakened sense of self which was often caused by a gap between their ideal and perceived self. This led to negative feelings and responses of demotivation or halting subsequent help-seeking. Recommendations are provided to improve health professional practice to support women help-seeking for vaginismus, and to help close the gap between their ideal and perceived selves. Such insight can help to empower women’s sense of self and motivate them to persevere with help-seeking to experience improvement for their vaginismus and quality of life.

Introduction: Considering the negative effects of vaginismus on the quality of life of couples and delay in pregnancy, this case group study was conducted with aim to investigate the process of treatment of patients with vaginismus and subsequent pregnancy. Cases presentation: In this descriptive study, 12 patients with vaginismus were evaluated from October 2021 to December 2023. After history and initial evaluation, vaginismus grades 3 and 4 were diagnosed based on the Lamotte scale in the examination of the patients. The participants aged 20-35 years old. The mean duration of this disease and the mean duration of infertility were 4.3 years and 4.1 years, respectively, and 5 patients (41.6%) wanted assisted reproductive methods. During this period, the patients had received several ineffective and unscientific treatments. The process of treatment was done as a team. The treatment was started by the reproductive and sexual health specialist, the trainings, follow-up of the patients and referral to the team members were also done by the same specialist. The process included cognitive behavioral therapy and dilators that during the treatment process, Kegel exercises and non-sexual sensation were also performed by the patient. The sessions were held weekly and treatment period lasted two to three months. After end of treatment, the patients were able to have sexual intercourse without pain and became pregnant 3 to 12 months after the treatment. Conclusion: One of the problems in women with vaginismus is infertility and this problem can be completely solved with scientific, team and combined treatments and persistence in the treatment process.

Introduction: Considering the negative effects of vaginismus on the quality of life of couples and delay in pregnancy, this case group study was conducted with aim to investigate the process of treatment of patients with vaginismus and subsequent pregnancy. Cases presentation: In this descriptive study, 12 patients with vaginismus were evaluated from October 2021 to December 2023. After history and initial evaluation, vaginismus grades 3 and 4 were diagnosed based on the Lamotte scale in the examination of the patients. The participants aged 20-35 years old. The mean duration of this disease and the mean duration of infertility were 4.3 years and 4.1 years, respectively, and 5 patients (41.6%) wanted assisted reproductive methods. During this period, the patients had received several ineffective and unscientific treatments. The process of treatment was done as a team. The treatment was started by the reproductive and sexual health specialist, the trainings, follow-up of the patients and referral to the team members were also done by the same specialist. The process included cognitive behavioral therapy and dilators that during the treatment process, Kegel exercises and non-sexual sensation were also performed by the patient. The sessions were held weekly and treatment period lasted two to three months. After end of treatment, the patients were able to have sexual intercourse without pain and became pregnant 3 to 12 months after the treatment. Conclusion: One of the problems in women with vaginismus is infertility and this problem can be completely solved with scientific, team and combined treatments and persistence in the treatment process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Zeitschrift für Sexualforschung is the property of Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Vaginismus is characterized as an involuntary contraction that prevents vaginal penetration, which can cause suffering and changes in love relationships. Therefore, in this study we sought to discuss the romantic attachment in women with vaginismus, reflecting on the influence of elements of the romantic relationship and the sociocultural context in the experience of this dysfunction. This is a qualitative-exploratory research, carried out through semi-structured interviews, with nine women who presented symptoms of vaginismus. The results were categorized from the content analysis and point to the importance of collaborative support from partners, and the absence of this support can prolong the treatment. Social roles around gender influence the perception of sexual dysfunction and marital dynamics, creating feelings of guilt and insecurity. Therefore, the importance of expanding conceptions of sexuality is highlighted, with the role of health professionals to instruct their patients with vaginismus in this process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Vaginismus, a prevalent genito-pelvic pain/penetration disorder in the Middle East, often leads to unconsummated marriages, with a significant impact on marital and social well-being. Traditional treatments have shown limited success in refractory cases. Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of an integrated treatment program, including Botulinum Toxin A (BTXA) injections, gradual vaginal introitus dilation, and psychological support, in treating refractory vaginismus in Egyptian women. Patients and Methods: This retrospective case series analyzed 1,400 women with refractory vaginismus, treated between January 2013 and 2023. The program comprised BTXA injections in the perineal muscles, followed by guided physiotherapy for muscle dilation and psychological counseling. Success was defined as painless vaginal penetration. Results: Of the initial 1,512 cases, 1,400 completed the program. The average age of participants was 28 years. Most patients (93%) had tried conventional treatments without success. Post-treatment, 92.6% (1,288/1,400) achieved painless penetration. The majority required 3 to 5 dilatation treatment sessions for success. Mild adverse effects were reported in 28% of cases. Conclusion: The integrated treatment program, combining BTXA injections, gradual dilation, and psychological support, is highly effective in managing refractory vaginismus in Egyptian women, with a success rate of over 90%. This approach offers a promising solution for couples facing unconsummated marriages due to vaginismus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Research to improve healthcare experiences for women with vaginismus tends to be produced from the perspective of healthcare professionals or health-based researchers. There is lacking research on women’s experiences and recommendations to improve help-seeking for vaginismus from their perspective. To address this research gap, this qualitative study aimed to identify the issues that women face when help-seeking for vaginismus and their recommendations to address it. This sought to support the wellbeing of patients to advocate for their healthcare needs which is often overlooked. Methods Using a feminist theoretical approach, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 21 participants who sought help for their vaginismus. Thematic analysis was employed to analyse participants’ recommendations. Results Four main themes emerged: Increase awareness of vaginismus, Dismantle myths about sex, Destigmatise vaginismus, and Empower people with vaginismus during medical consultations. Subthemes were identified as actionable strategies that participants recommended to improve help-seeking and healthcare for vaginismus. Conclusions The findings from this study can inform healthcare practice and policy to foster better synchronicity between health professionals and their patients’ perceptions and expectations of treating vaginismus. This can promote more acceptance of patients’ advocacy of their needs and goals to improve the therapeutic alliance and treatment outcomes for vaginismus in healthcare practice. The strategies recommended to increase awareness of vaginismus and challenge its stigma should be considered in policy to incite a culture of change in healthcare practice and broader society.

Background: Vaginismus is a multifaceted disorder encompassing increased muscle tension, pain, anxiety, and fear due to psychosocial perspectives which makes vaginal penetration impossible. Vaginismus has irreparable effects on self-identity. It also negatively impacts the quality of life. Aim: To find the prevalence of vaginismus in the female reproductive age group of 20–35 years. Materials and methods: The current observational study comprised 160 married females in the age group of 20–35 years residing in Belagavi city in Karnataka, India. Women were screened according to the criteria from a tertiary care hospital. Outcome measures: The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition by the American Psychiatric Association was used to assess vaginismus. Results: Females who were sexually active were included in this study. Out of the total sample, 28% were reported with primary vaginismus and 30% with secondary vaginismus. There was no specific relation between age and vaginismus. Conclusion: The study concludes that vaginismus is a common disorder that is highly prevalent in the Indian population and women hesitate to seek medical attention regarding it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Unconsummated marriage (UCM) is the inability of the heterosexual married couple to have penovaginal sexual intercourse. Aim: The study sought to systematically review current evidence regarding the etiological factors and clinical management of UCM. Methods: A comprehensive bibliographic search on the MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library databases was performed in June 2023. Studies were selected if they described married couples who never had sexual intercourse in case report or case series evaluating the related causes and/or management and reporting data with qualitative, quantitative, or mixed methods. The review was reported according to PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-analyses) statement and registered in PROSPERO with ID CRD42023433040. Results: A total of 27 studies including 1638 males and 1587 females were selected. Eight (29.6%) articles were case reports involving a single couple and 19 (70.4%) studies were case series. Mean Murad score was 4.1 (range, 1-8) showing low-intermediate overall study quality. All articles had a level of evidence of 4. Most of studies were conducted in Egypt (n = 5 [18.4%]), Israel (n = 4 [14.9%]), and the United States (n = 4 [14.9%]). The mean age of males and females varied between 24.2 and 37.6 years and from 21 to 27.4 years, respectively. The reasons for the medical visit that led to the diagnosis of UCM were inability to consummate in 23 (85.2%) studies, inability to conceive in 1 (3.7%) article, and mixed in 3 (11.1%) articles. The mean duration of UCM varied from 7 days to 3.5 years. Eight studies involving both men and women showed that vaginismus (8.4%-81%) and erectile dysfunction (10.5%-61%) were the most common causes of UCM. Three articles reported that 16.6% to 26% of all UCM cases were due to both male and female factors. Sildenafil, tadalafil, intracavernosal injection, penile plication, female genital reconstructive surgery, vaginal dilators, lubricants, psychosexual therapy, and sex education were the various treatment modalities in 27 studies to achieve consummation rate of 66.6% to 100%. Strengths & Limitations: A strength is that this is the first systematic review covering the entire spectrum of UCM. Limitations comprised the low quality of most of the included articles and the large percentage of UCM cases probably not published. Conclusion: Erectile dysfunction and vaginismus are the most reported causes of UCM; however, a strong psychological component certainly underlies a significant number of cases. A multidisciplinary approach based on strategic integration of sex education, medical therapy, psychosexual support, and surgical treatment would seem the most suitable option to manage couples with UCM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background & Aim: Vaginismus disorder is the second most common sexual dysfunction in women. Therefore, a therapeutic strategy that specifically deals with the symptoms and psychological problems caused by it will be the way forward. Therefore, the present study was performed with the aim of the effectiveness of vaginismus-specific schema therapy on the fear of intimacy in women with vaginismus disorder. Materials & Methods: This research was a semi-experimental study with a pretest, posttest and follow-up design with a control group. In the winter of the year 2022, a statistical society of women with vaginismus symptoms referred to the midwifery clinic and women's hospital of Piambaran in Tehran. Among them, 45 individuals were purposefully selected and divided into three groups, each consisting of 15 participants. Descutner & Thelen (1991) fear of intimacy questionnaire was used to measure the dependent variable. Two experiment groups were treated in 10 sessions of 90 minutes each, and the control group did not receive any intervention. The data were analysed using variance analysis of repeated measures and Bonferroni's post-hoc test in SPSS software-22. Results: Both vaginismus-specific schema therapy and common schema therapy affected reducing the perceived fear of intimacy in women with vaginismus disorder compared to the control group (p<0.001). According to the comparison of the difference between the averages of the two intervention groups and the control group, the vaginismus-specific schema therapy had a greater effect on the improvement of the fear of intimacy than the common schema therapy (p<0.001). Conclusion: The results of the research showed that the new schema therapy package for vaginismus can reduce the fear of intimacy among women with vaginismus by identifying their problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Current studies indicate a strong relationship between sexual dysfunctions and eating disorders. The aims of this study were to investigate the frequency of disordered eating behaviors (DE) in patients with genito-pelvic pain and penetration disorder (GPPPD); and to determine the clinical features associated with DE. Methods: Outpatients with GPPPD (n=105) were evaluated with sociodemographic data form, structured clinical interview for DSM-IV (SCID), Golombok-Rust inventory of sexual satisfaction female form (GRISS), Hamilton anxiety rating scale (HAM-A), Hamilton depression rating scale (HAM-D), eating disorder examination questionnaire (EDEQ), and eating attitudes test (EAT-40). Results: The frequency of DE in patients included in the study was 85.7%. The presence of sexual trauma history, eating concern, binge eating scores were significantly higher in patients with DE than without that (p<0.05). A statistically significant positive correlation was observed among the restriction, sensuality and orgasm scores in GPPPD patients with sexual trauma (p<0.05). Conclusions: Our results might be important in terms of showing that DE is frequently seen in patients with GPPPD and that the presence of a history of sexual trauma might be important in accompanying these two disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Dyspareunia, vaginismus and chronic pelvic pain are gynecological pathologies that have a strongly negative impact on women's quality of life. • Botulinum toxin shown effectiveness in reducing local inflammation, peripheral and central terminal neurotransmitter release and nociceptive processing. • Botulinum toxin injection was found to be effective in improving vulvar and vaginal dyspareunia, vaginismus, and chronic pelvic pain. Botulinum toxin (BoNT) administration has been proposed in the gynecologic field for pelvic, vulvar and vaginal disorders. On this regard, we aimed assessing the therapeutic effectiveness and safety of BoNT usage in the treatment of vaginal, vulvar and pelvic pain disorders. We searched for all the original articles without date restriction until 31.12.2021. We included all the original articles which administered botulinum toxin in the vulva or vagina of women suffering from vaginismus, dyspareunia, and chronic pelvic pain. Only English language studies and those performed in humans were eligible. We excluded all case reports and pilot study from the qualitative analysis, although we accurately evaluated them. 22 original studies were finally included in the systematic review. Botulinum toxin injection was found to be effective in improving vulvar and vaginal dyspareunia, vaginismus, and chronic pelvic pain. No irreversible side effects were detected. Major side effects reported were transient urinary or fecal incontinence, constipation and rectal pain. The risk of bias assessment proved original articles to be of medium quality. No metanalysis could have been performed since lack of congruency in the definition of pathology and methods of botulinum toxin administration. Data extraction pointed out different endpoints and different methods of analysis. Studies focus on different types of participants and use various techniques and timing. According to the best evidence available, different techniques provide evidence about positive outcomes, with the need for a standardized protocol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cognition and beliefs of women about vaginal penetration can be important in understanding the basic mechanisms of sexual disorders and their treatment process, especially genito-pelvic pain/penetration disorder (GPPPD). Thus, as a systematic review and meta-analysis, the present study aimed to compare the beliefs and cognitions related to vaginal penetration in women with and without GPPPD. In this systematic review and meta-analysis study, articles published in the international databases of PubMed, Scopus, Embase, Web of Science, ProQuest and Cochrane Library were searched using keywords related to vaginal penetration cognition. Inclusion criterion was all case-control studies which used the standard Vaginal Penetration Cognition Questionnaire (VPCQ). There were no language or time limitations. Egger's test was used to investigate the possibility of bias in publishing the results. Data analysis was performed using STATA software version 12 (StataCorp LP, College Station, TX). In this study, five articles were analyzed after assessing their quality by using Newcastle–Ottawa scale. The difference between the mean scores of Control cognition, catastrophic and pain cognitions, self-image cognitions, positive cognitions and genital incompatibility cognitions in the two groups with and without GPPPD was 0.450, 2.312, 1.528, −1.343 and 1.881, respectively, and the two groups were significantly different (p < 0.001). According to the results of the present study, women with GPPPD had higher levels of negative cognition about catastrophic and pain cognition, genital incompatibility, self-image and perceived control during the vaginal penetration than women without GPPPD. They had also lower levels of positive cognition and beliefs associated with vaginal penetration. Therefore, the cognitive dimensions of vaginal penetration should be considered in the treatment and sexual counseling of women with GPPPD, and some plans have to be designed for interventional measures in this regard. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vaginal penetration skills and behavior are considered different aspects of vaginal penetration. Nevertheless, these terms are used interchangeably in most genito-pelvic pain/penetration disorder (GPPPD) intervention studies, possibly impacting the assessment and selection of intervention outcomes. This is the first theoretical essay on the relevance of nonsexual vaginal penetration skills in understanding and treating GPPPD symptoms, mainly for patients with vaginismus complaints. We aim to provide avenues for further empirical research and new perspectives for assessing, preventing, and treating GPPPD symptoms. We highlight the conceptual boundaries, overlaps, and commonalities between vaginal penetration skills and vaginal penetration behavior and the implications for measuring and selecting GPPPD treatment outcomes. We then briefly explain vaginal penetration skills as a self-learning process and review the impact of fear, anxiety, and cognitive factors on GPPPD symptoms. We also outline the role of the nonsexual genital self-exploration skills in later penetration behavior and offer implications for a new GPPPD patient-centered treatment approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study dealt with a disorder that can be said to say the least that leads to divorce, especially in the early years of marriage, which is one of the taboos that can still not be revealed until now, unfortunately, except for the primary vaginismus disorder in women. Therefore, focusing on it from the therapeutic side is necessary and urgent in order to avoid the negative consequences resulting from it, and therefore the study aimed to test the effectiveness of a cognitive-behavioral therapy program based on the ABC model. And the technique of exposure, in one case suffering from vaginismus disorder, for the purpose of modifying her mental beliefs associated with sexuality. Several scales and questionnaires were relied on: the scale of irrational thoughts, the questionnaire on the sexual function of the female, the Arizona questionnaire for sexual experience, the anxiety test, and the depression test. The program also contained 24 treatment sessions ranging in duration from 60 minutes to 90 minutes, which included several cognitive and behavioral therapeutic techniques. The results concluded that the condition improved significantly through the modification of her irrational thoughts, and the improvement of her sexual intercourse with her husband, which indicates the effectiveness of the treatment program used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Health Academics / Sağlık Akademisyenleri Dergisi is the property of Journal of Health Academics and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background: There is low social awareness of vaginismus despite it being a relatively common female sexual dysfunction that makes vaginal penetration painful, difficult, and/or impossible. While existing literature on vaginismus has had a clinical focus on the affected genitalia, there is a lack of research on women's help-seeking experiences of vaginismus from their perspective. Objectives: This integrative review's objective was to explore: women's help-seeking experiences of vaginismus, and how such help-seeking experiences impact their sense of self. Design: Cooper's five-step integrative review approach was followed to develop a research question, a search strategy, selection criteria, and data evaluation, analysis, and presentation. Data Sources and Methods: A systematic search of the literature was completed in the following seven databases in January 2023: PsycINFO, ProQuest Central, PubMed, Scopus, CINAHL, Cochrane, and Embase. Out of the 373 articles found through database searches and additional citation searching, 22 studies were included in this review for meeting the eligibility criteria of having an empirical design, being written in English, and examining women's help-seeking experiences for vaginismus and its impact on their sense of self. Results: Thematic analysis was used to summarize the findings from the included studies which were informed by 1671 participants. Help-Seeking Process, Medical Management, Help-Seeking and Sense of Self, and Holistic Care Recommendations from the Findings emerged as four major themes with corresponding subthemes. Conclusion: This review indicates that women continue to face difficulties in seeking and receiving help for vaginismus even through the healthcare system. However, the studies did not explicitly discuss how women's help-seeking for vaginismus impacted their sense of self. This highlights an epistemological gap on how women's help-seeking for their vaginismus impacts their sense of self, which can affect their treatment responses. Recommendations are provided for future healthcare and research to improve health outcomes for women with vaginismus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract \nLAY SUMMARY Unconsummated marriage (UCM) or honeymoon impotence is still common among couples in some worlds, especially in the Middle East, Arab countries, Asia, and even Western countries. The incidence is around 17% of the total visits to the clinic. However, this figure could be higher because UCM is known as an embarrassing condition for couples, so many cases go unreported. The causes of UCM can be from both sides, women, and men. Sometimes women’s vaginismus is a problem, even though men also cause UCM. Various etiologies cause UCM in men, from psychogenic to organic, such as erectile dysfunction and premature ejaculation. But whatever the cause, couples need help from a therapist—interventions ranging from drugs to sex therapy. Compared with women, UCM by male factors has the same chance of success in treatment as women. The results of our review follow the PRISMA procedure from 9 databases. There are 31 eligible studies for consideration, totalling 3118 patients. Our appraisal reports that sex therapy of varying lengths of sessions combined with treatment according to the etiology is effective in helping couples achieve consummation. This review reports that comprehensive and holistic sexualhealth assessment is needed to manage UCM to achieve common goals.This article provides a systematic review of studies reporting the incidence of unconsummated marriages caused by men. What is the most common cause, how to handle it, and how the relationship ends. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vaginismus is a medical condition characterized by involuntary tightening of the muscles around the vagina. This situation disrupts sexual relations and impacts the chances of pregnancy. This study explores the occurrence of pregnancy in women with vaginismus after treatment in 2022 in East Java Indonesia. There were 60 patients with a diagnosis of vaginismus in 2022. Married less than 1 year as many as 6 people (10%), 1-5 years as many as 49 people (82%), and more than 5 years as many as 5 people (8%). Management is carried out independently and collaboratively. The management is independent dilatation with the help of dilators, Botox injection, hymenectomy, and collaboration with psychiatrists and andrologists. Of the 60 patients who underwent anamnesis and physical examination, five patients successfully obtained pregnancy treated with Botox injections, independent dilatation or independent dilatation, and andrology consultation. Proper management of vaginismus can increase the chances of pregnancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Vulvodynia and vaginismus are common chronic vulvar pain disorders for which there is a paucity of literature on pregnancy outcomes of affected women. The study objective was to evaluate the associations between vulvodynia and vaginismus and obstetric outcomes. Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study including all birth-related admissions from 1999 to October 2015 extracted from the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project-National Inpatient Sample from the United States. Women with vulvodynia or vaginismus were identified using the appropriate ICD-9 codes. Multivariate logistic regression models, adjusted for baseline maternal characteristics, were performed to evaluate the effect of vulvodynia and vaginismus on obstetrical and neonatal outcomes. Results: A total of 879 obstetrical patients with vulvodynia or vaginismus were identified in our cohort of 13,792,544 patients admitted for delivery in US hospitals between 1999 and 2015, leading to an overall prevalence of 6 cases per 100,000 births. Between 1999 and 2015, the annual prevalence of vulvodynia or vaginismus rose from 2 to 16 cases per 100,000. Vulvodynia and vaginismus were associated with increased risks of eclampsia, chorioamnionitis, post-term pregnancy, cesarean delivery, instrumental vaginal delivery, blood transfusions, prolonged hospital stays, congenital anomalies and intrauterine growth restriction. Conclusion: Vulvodynia and vaginismus in pregnancy appears underreported in pregnancy compared to reported population rates. Prevalence of reporting seems to have increased in the last decades and is associated with increased risks of maternal and newborn morbidities. Obstetrical caregivers should be aware of the underreporting of these conditions and the associated adverse effects when counseling obstetrical patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Objective: Vaginismus is one of the most common problems among patients who apply to the sexual health outpatient clinic. It is known that sexual problems are more common in migraine and tension-type headache patients. Furthermore, the frequency of depression and anxiety is higher in both vaginismus and chronic headache patients. This study was conducted in 2021 and examined the headache characteristics, depression and anxiety in vaginismus patients. Material and methods: In this prospective study, 87 patients diagnosed with vaginismus in the sexual health outpatient clinic were interviewed. Fifty patients who agreed to participate in the study were questioned regarding headache, and Beck depression and Beck anxiety scales were applied. Results: Headache was present in 46% (n:23) of 50 vaginismus patients. Anxiety scores of patients with headaches were higher than those without headaches (p=0.032). The most common type of headache was migraine without aura (60.9%), followed by tension-type headache (30.4%). Beck depression scores of the low-income group were higher than the high-income group (p=0.006). There was no significant correlation between monthly headache frequency, total headache duration, Beck depression score, and Beck anxiety score. Conclusions: Headache is a common neurological symptom in vaginismus patients, and the frequency of migraine is higher than tension-type headaches. Anxiety values are higher in vaginismus patients experiencing a headache. Therefore, headache and anxiety should be considered in the follow-up and treatment of vaginismus patients.

Y Ozay Ozdemir,1 Mine Ergelen,1 Beliz Ozen,2 I Fuat Akgul,3 E Emrem Bestepe1 1University of Health Sciences, Erenkoy Mental Health and Neurological Diseases Education and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey; 2Marmara University, Pendik Education and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey; 3Private Office, Istanbul, TurkeyCorrespondence: Y Ozay Ozdemir, University of Health Sciences, Erenkoy Mental Health and Neurological Diseases Education and Research Hospital, Sinan Ercan Cad. No: 29, 34736 Kazasker, Erenkoy-Kad&inodot;koy, Istanbul, Turkey, Tel +9005325154489, Email ozayozdemirmd@gmail.comObjective: The role of emotion regulation and alexithymia in the pathophysiology of genitopelvic pain/penetration disorder (GPPPD) is emphasized. Parental bonding is linked to emotion regulation and alexithymia. This study aimed to examine the relationships between parental bonding, alexithymia, and GPPPD.Patients and Methods: Sixty-four patients with GPPPD were enrolled in the study, and 60 controls were matched for demographic features. Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) was used to evaluate alexithymia, the Bonding to Parents Scale (BPS) was used to assess parental bonding, and sexual functions were assessed via Golombok–Rust Inventory of Sexual Satisfaction (GRISS).Results: The rate of alexithymic traits was statistically higher in the GPPPD group than in the controls (p = 0.005). Patients with GPPPD obtained higher scores on the maternal care/control (p = 0.003) and maternal overprotection (p = 0.008) compared to controls. Difficulty describing feelings factor of alexithymia (p = 0.012) emerged as a predictor of group membership (GPPPD vs controls). To test whether alexithymia was significantly associated with parental bonding, all subjects were divided into two subgroups, alexithymic and non-alexithymic. When the subgroups were compared in terms of parental attitudes, maternal (p = 0.034) and paternal (p = 0.006) overprotection subscale scores were higher in the alexithymic group than in the non-alexithymic group.Discussion: According to the results, alexithymic traits are characteristic of patients with GPPPD; however, although patients with GPPPD may experience difficulties with perceived parental bonding, this factor does not appear to be a predictor of GPPPD.Keywords: genitopelvic pain, penetration disorder, alexithymia, parental bonding, vaginismus, dyspareunia

Abstract Aim The aim of this study was to investigate the psychometric properties of the Persian version of the Vaginal Penetration Cognition Questionnaire (VPCQ). Design Cross‐sectional study. Methods This research was conducted in two phases from June 2019 to February 2020. Phase I: The World Health Organization Protocol of forward–backward translation and an expert panel in order to determine face and content validity. Phase II: Survey development with 352 eligible women with sexual pain disorders, construct validity, internal consistency and construct reliability were evaluated. Results The exploratory factor analysis showed that the Persian version of VPCQ has three factors that explained 53.94% of the total variance. Confirmatory factor analysis also confirmed the fit of the three‐factor model. Convergent and divergent validity were confirmed for all factors. The average measure ICC was 0.99 (95% CI 0.98 to 0.99). The absolute reliability with estimated SEM of 2.67 and MDC% of 28% approved the reliability of the questionnaire.

Introductıon: The aim was to evaluate changes in sexual function and satisfaction after therapy in couples who applied with a provisional diagnosis of vaginismus. Methods:: From December 2017 to December 2018, couples who applied with a provisional diagnosis of vaginismus at the Sexual Dysfunction Polyclinic of Hospital were assessed before and after therapy with the Female Sexual Function Scale (FSFI), the International Erectile Function Form (IIEF), and the Golombok-Rust Sexual Satisfaction Scale (GRISS), as well as the Beck Depression and Anxiety Form, and the results were recorded. Results: Forty-one couples who presented to the sexual dysfunction outpatient clinic with a diagnosis of vaginismus participated in the study. After treatment, there was significant improvement in GRISS scores in men and women, FSFI scores in women, and IIEF scores in men. Beck's depression scores decreased significantly in both men and women. In addition, Beck anxiety scores decreased significantly in women (p < 0.01, p < 0.01, p < 0.01, p < 0.01, p < 0.01, p < 0.01, respectively). Conclusıon: After sex therapy, there was a significant improvement in GRISS scores in both men and women, FSFI scores in women, and IIEF scores in men. Depression scores decreased significantly in both men and women. In addition, anxiety scores decreased significantly in females. The improvement in male sexual function in sex therapy during vaginismus treatment compared to pretreatment is new information in the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introductions: The prevalence of vaginismus ranges from 1%-6%, and the ratio becomes 5%-17% in the clinical setting, although it varies widely worldwide. The main cause of vaginismus is unknown but is often considered multifactorial. This paper aims to describe the psychological aspects that contribute to vaginismus. Case: A 26-year-old married woman complained about not being able to have sexual intercourse. About 1 month ago, since marriage, the patient was unable to have sexual intercourse with her husband. The patient feels guilty and anxious because of her inability to please her husband. The patient's father was very dominant and was a "religious" type of parent who always advised with religious aspects regarding all matters. The patient's mother was a nervous person and always said that what the father said was a law that had to be followed. Likewise, talking about sex is a taboo topic of discussion and is considered embarrassing. Discussions: Many factors need to be explored related to vaginismus. In this case, the biological aspect can be ruled out because the patient has consulted with an ob-gynecologist. From the psychological aspect, perceptions, attitudes, and attitudes towards sex, as well as the values held by parents, contribute to vaginismus in this patient. Conclusions: A therapeutic approach that focuses on all aspects promises quite good therapeutic outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]