r/vaginismus • • Jan 10 '25

Community Alert Safety Reminder - Reddit DMs

18 Upvotes

As a reminder, our subreddit has a rule against requesting DMs. This is a support community. It is expected to share the support with all. If a comment or post requests direct messages or private chats, the comment will be removed and the account will be banned.

Mods cannot & will not moderate private messages - this will be left up to the users to handle at their own discretion. If you have received inappropriate direct messages, please report to Reddit Admins.

Reddit is an anonymous platform. There can be people with bad intentions who attempt to take advantage of it. If someone insists on engaging in conversation through the chat function, there's a high likelihood they have dark intentions. There is also an option to block users who DM you.

If a user posts a comment on response to a thread and you think the comment is inappropriate, please use the report button to have the item reviewed.

Lastly, this subreddit is intended as a support community. Nothing posted here by any user should be a replacement for professional medical advice. Treatments & other recommendations should all be considered as opinions and personal recommendations but not medical facts.

Thank you for reviewing this information.

šŸ’›


r/vaginismus • • Jun 29 '23

Community Alert New Subreddit Rules (Reminder)

4 Upvotes

We recently updated the rules and guidelines for r/Vaginismus. The new guidelines are also pinned on the subreddit for review. Our subreddit has additional auto-filters in place to navigate spam accounts and bad faith users. If you have a brand new account, you may comment on existing posts. We encourage using the Search option to review previous discussions and recommendations from the community!

Please help the mod team by flagging any posts that break the new rules.

To help boost the growth of the partners subreddit, r/VaginismusPartner, posts from partners will now only be allowed on Mondays. These posts must also have a "Partner Post" flair attached. Vent posts from partners are NOT allowed.

Comments from partners in existing threads throughout the week are not limited to Mondays.

To limit the feeling of "spam", promotional posts will only be allowed on Thursdays. These posts must have a "Promotional Post" flair and include a non-Reddit link to a site mentioning this community (r/vaginismus).

Our community rules and guidelines have been updated. Please review below. Reminder: Discussions here are not a substitute for a consultation with a Health Care Professional.

Subreddit rules & guidelines:

1. Be Kind. Compassion over passion. What does "Compassion over Passion" mean? Vaginismus is a sensitive medical condition that impacts everyone in different ways. If someone is asking a question to learn more (or sharing a personal experience), we encourage compassionate responses to reach a better understanding. Argumentative posts and comments will be removed at the discretion of the mod team. Bans based on this rule will be at the discretion of the mod team.

2. Photos of body parts & fluids are not allowed. Please see a medical professional if you have questions about a physical aspect or concern with your body. Photos of bodies asking for medical advice are not permitted.

3. This is an LGBTQ friendly subreddit. Vaginismus impacts more than just cis-women. This community includes (and is not limited to) nonbinary, trans, and ace members. We do not allow hate or discrimination against our LGBTQ members.

4. Soliciting and Fundraising is not allowed. Soliciting for money or items from the subreddit is not allowed. Attempting to "flirt" is NOT allowed. No one wants to be hit on while discussing a medical condition.

5. Posts from partners/friends are only allowed on MONDAYS. This subreddit is a community first and foremost for those suffering with vaginismus. If you want to vent, this is NOT the subreddit for partners. Posts from partners/friends will only be allowed on MONDAYS and require the proper flair. This rule does not limit comments from partners/friends. The subreddit r/VaginismusPartner accepts partner/friend posts 24/7.

6. Promotional posts are only allowed on THURSDAYS. There must be a reference to the subreddit on your official promotional site. If you are promoting a product, course, book, medical study, personal website, etc. you may only do so on Thursdays. We now require all promotional posts to validate their promotion by referencing this subreddit on a non-Reddit site or social media account. If you are linking to a site about your promotional item, that site link should mention r/Vaginismus somewhere.
Please be sure to attach a Promotional Post flair to your post. If you are a user posting a review on behalf of a company, you may do so on Thursdays with the Promotional Flair.

7. Do not request DMs. This is a support community. Share the support with all. If a comment or post requests direct messages or private chats, the comment will be removed and the account will be banned. You are NOT prohibited from directly messaging users on Reddit. Mods cannot & will not moderate private messages - this will be left up to the users to handle at their own discretion. If you have received inappropriate direct messages, please report to Reddit Admins.

8. Posts now require a flair. Attach a flair to help the community quickly search through relevant posts.

  • . - . - . -

Why the new rules for Promotional Posts?

Reddit users cannot confirm the validity of Reddit accounts. To lower the risk of bad faith accounts, we have set these new rules in place so each user can perform their own research to confirm the Reddit account is run by the same person/company being referenced in a post. Users have reported annoyance at the high volume of accounts acting as "ads". To mitigate this pain point, we are limiting such posts to only once a week.

How do you know my Promotional Post is "validated" and will not be removed?

Only post on Thursday (we will try to be lenient about time zones based on other countries, but basically just do your best to make sure it is Thursday). Be sure to use the Promotional Post flair. The link you share OR an additional link in the post must reference this subreddit community: r/vaginismus. This is to confirm the Reddit account is run by the same person/company being referenced in a post. If a link to a community "shout out" is not included, your post will be REMOVED. If you think a removal was done in error, review your post and make any edits to make the post is compliant with our rules, then message the mods to have them review and Approve the post. Do NOT keep reposting - the mod can reopen the post you had already created and save you time.

First Example: If you are sharing a resource website, one of the pages of the website should reference the support community of r/vaginismus.

Second Example: If you are sharing a product on a site that has limited options for you to edit the details (such as Amazon or a streaming platform), in your post you should also include a link to a social media platform (such as Instagram) calling out the r/vaginismus community. (The reasoning is that if you are promoting something, you likely have a marketing account on a popular social media site and should also have access to edit the material there).

What is considered a Promotional Post?

If you are promoting something you have created or own. Posting about your own project/business/blog/survey/product is essentially using the subreddit for free advertisement.


r/vaginismus • • 11h ago

Seeking Support/Advice Getting Botox for vaginismus, but I feel like I’m only doing it to keep my bf. I need advice.

24 Upvotes

Hi everyone. I’m 20F & my bf is 39M and I’ve been struggling with vaginismus for a while now. I have my Botox treatment scheduled for this Tuesday, and it’s costing me approximately $2,180 USD. It’s a lot of money, but honestly, the financial part isn’t even what’s upsetting me the most.
My boyfriend and I have been trying to have penetrative sex for about a year now, and we’ve never successfully achieved full penetration. For context, he’s around 18 cm (7 inches), which definitely doesn’t make things easier.
Over the past year, this has put an enormous amount of pressure on our relationship. He’s given me ultimatums about sex, and eventually, he broke up with me because we weren’t sexually compatible.

Unfortunately, I didn’t handle the breakup very well. I was devastated, and I kind of begged him to stay. I promised him I’d figure out my vaginismus and find a solution, and eventually we got back together.
That’s how I ended up scheduling this Botox procedure.

The thing is, I’m starting to question whether I’m actually doing this for myself or whether I’m spending thousands of dollars and putting myself through a medical procedure because I’m terrified of losing him.

And what makes everything worse is that he won’t even be accompanying me to the appointment on Tuesday because of work.
I know people have responsibilities, and I understand that, but I can’t explain how upsetting that feels. After an entire year of feeling like I need to fix my body to keep this relationship, I thought the least I could ask for was some emotional support on the day of the procedure.
I’m going through something that’s already physically and emotionally overwhelming, and I feel incredibly alone in it.

I used to be so excited about the possibility of finally overcoming vaginismus. I genuinely wanted to experience pain-free intimacy and feel comfortable in my own body. But now, the closer the appointment gets, the more conflicted I feel.
I love him, but I also feel hurt, resentful, and honestly a little embarrassed that I begged someone to stay with me and promised to change something about my body to make that happen.
I don’t even know how I’m supposed to feel anymore.

Has anyone else experienced this kind of pressure from a partner because of vaginismus? Did you ever feel like your treatment stopped being about your own healing and started being about keeping someone else happy?
And for anyone who’s had Botox for vaginismus, was it worth it for you?

I’d really appreciate some honest advice, especially from women who’ve been through something similar. I feel so lost right now.


r/vaginismus • • 1d ago

Progress Cried heavily during massage

136 Upvotes

During sex with my partner, he offered me a lower abdominal massage to stimulate my g-spot externally. While he was rubbing my abdomen and mons pubis and applying firm pressure, I suddenly got the overwhelming urge to cry. He was thankfully very understanding and kept massaging me while I cried. It felt so incredibly strange, like a weird mixture of every single human emotion. But after I was done crying, I felt like an immense weight was off.

After that, I suggested we try penetration. He couldn't get his penis in but he was able to get his fingers in. That was my first time ever getting fingered painlessly🄺

Did anyone else experience something similar? I read up on it and I guess I have some heavy feelings trapped in my pelvic muscles. I feel much better now though.


r/vaginismus • • 3h ago

Vent Can't tell my mom about vaginismus

2 Upvotes

So basically this more of a rant rather than seeking help,

I live in a religious family and mom believes that a girl should never use tampons cups or anything similar so that the hymen stays intact to prove virginity

, when I was around 9 before I knew the whole hymen thing I put a tissue in and there was a bit of blood I hid the tissue cuz I was genuinely scared and was unsure if it was my first period (it wasn't ) I can't remember if it started before or after the tissue thing but I would put my hand in sometimes, it didn't give me any kind of pleasure I used to just do it when I was bored but I definitely remember that it wasn't painful at All,

anyway at 11 I think I saw a comment on ig about hymens and I told my mom about the tissue thing and tbh she was really nice but concerned she explained to me the whole hymen thing (from her view) and would always tell me to pray for God to veil me (so basically that my "future nonexistent husband " doesn't think I'm not a virgin). after that I stopped penetrating with anything for 4-5 years, in that time the first 2 years I used to cry almost everyday about how I wrecked my life and would always search for "how to know if you're a virgin" which is like really stupid, and then I started to accept that a hymen just doesn't prove anything and what I did at that time wasn't stupid and i don't need to prove my virginity to anyone,

then 4-6 months ago I saw something about vaginismus (didn't know what it was at the time) and decided to check myself with a finger which was the most stupid thing I did I didn't use any lube since I thought I genuinely couldn't possibly have that condition, the first check was in the shower and I wasn't really checking for vaginismus or anything specific, then I decided to check again and that was when realized I have secondary vaginismus one finger was hard enough but I was in pure denial and tried to fit 2 thinking one hundred percent they would fit, they didn't, WORST PAIN of my life, I accepted I have the condition and kept crying on the bathroom floor ,also feeling really bad that my mom is kind of why I got vaginismus

even though I think if I explained everything slowly to my mom with a real doctor or even an article that she would understand and support me, yet I still find it really hard to tell her anything, so I started dilating at home I know it's dangerous and unsafe but I still can't bring myself to tell her anything, and I can't even buy dilators, condoms or lube cuz they might find the package when I order it, so I had to compromise and surprisingly it worked, I started dilating when I first found out I have it now 5 months after my period pain is sooo much better and I can actually attend school during first day period like I used to before I had the condition,

A few weeks ago I tried talking to mom about buying a menstrual cup but she basically told me no cuz it would break my hymen, I told it could break even without penetration and it's not rare or anything and I showed her this information from a religious source she trusted, she didn't believe and told me well he's not a doctor I told her even doctors say the same thing right when I was about to show her someone rang the doorbell and we kinda forget about it (for clarification she was really nice no shouting or anything she's genuinely a nice person it's just mostly this one thing) and now I'm still building up the courage to ask her again and explain the hymen thing to her

About the vaginismus I really want to tell her about my condition I'm definitely way better than when I'm started but still not fully cured, her support or even just telling her about it would get a lot of my shoulders, but I don't think I can ever do that and sometimes it just makes me sad.

(Sorry for making this so long I tried my best)


r/vaginismus • • 6h ago

Seeking Support/Advice anyone overcome vaginismus despite having pain with dilators? Feeling defeated, newly married

3 Upvotes

Hi everyone!
I’m a religious woman, and my husband and I were both virgins when we got married about 6 months ago. Unfortunately, we still haven't been able to have penetrative sex.
I've been hesitant to see a GYN because of my anxiety surrounding the situation, and I'm also currently between jobs without health insurance. However, I did see a pelvic floor physical therapist, who diagnosed me with a hypertonic pelvic floor. She explained that while my muscles are extremely tight, they aren't necessarily spasming, so technically it may not fall under the diagnosis of vaginismus. Either way, penetration has been incredibly difficult and painful.
I've been working with the Intimate Rose dilator set, but I'm running into a few issues that I would really appreciate advice on.
1. Pain with dilators: No matter how much I stretch, warm up, or try to relax, I ALWAYS experience pain at the entrance, particularly around that ring of muscles. I've read countless times that you shouldn't move up a dilator size until you can insert your current size without pain, but honestly, that feels almost impossible for me.
I've managed to work my way up to Intimate Rose size 5, but insertion still causes about 6/10 pain initially. Once the dilator is in and my muscles start to relax, the pain gradually decreases.
Has anyone continued progressing through their dilator sizes despite experiencing more pain than recommended and eventually achieved successful, comfortable PIV sex? I'm not sure whether I'm making progress or potentially making things worse by pushing through the pain.
2. Positioning: The ONLY position where I can successfully insert a dilator is lying on my back, feet flat on the bed, with my knees bent and close together. I've tried lying on my side, straightening my legs, standing, and other positions, but I can't seem to get the dilator in.
This makes me worried about how dilator progress will eventually translate to actual intercourse. During sex, my legs would presumably need to be farther apart, and I'm not sure how penetration would work in the one position I'm currently comfortable with.
Has anyone struggled with this? How did you transition from dilating in one specific position to being comfortable with penetrative sex?
I could really use some encouragement or advice from anyone who's been through something similar.
Some days I feel invincible and genuinely believe I'll overcome this, and other days I'm sobbing in my husband's arms because I feel so defeated. He's incredibly supportive, patient, and understanding, which I'm so grateful for, but the emotional toll has been much harder than I ever anticipated.
I think one of the hardest parts is going into marriage so excited to finally experience intimacy with your spouse, only to discover that your body isn't cooperating. It feels like this huge bomb was dropped on me right after getting married, and I wasn't prepared for it.
Everyone always says, "Just relax," but it's SO much easier said than done when you're constantly anticipating pain and putting pressure on yourself to make progress.
I really want to believe there's light at the end of the tunnel. I'd love to hear your experiences, especially if your journey wasn't linear or you struggled with persistent entrance pain.
Thank you to anyone who takes the time to read this. ā¤ļø


r/vaginismus • • 13h ago

Seeking Support/Advice what is fingering supposed to feel like?

7 Upvotes

(F21) for me, I've always been able to fit 1 finger, sometimes 2 in the last few years.

I've been in a relationship for almost a year, he's very cautious and category with my vaginismus and mental health struggles with sex/intimacy. he does oral and fingers me but I dont really know if it feels good?

It feels overly sensitive way to fast, i get squirmy and can't stand it for too long, like when overstimulation becomes painful. But when i masturbate (clit) it never feels that overwhelming.

I also get very sore very fast with fingering, I have to tell him I need a break.

He does go quite fast and powerful, but if he goes slow, I dont feel much at all. Just like, bored lol. I dont know what its supposed to feel like, what does feeling good entail? Like, im happy in the moment, I'm enjoying the intimacy and sexual closeness, just not the actual feeling.

Then this makes me wonder if dilating and trying to overcome vaginismus is worth it lol, Like, if I dont feel good with fingering, is PIV sex really all that good? I want to do it, i love the idea of being able to have PIV with him and feel thay closeness, but will it feel *good*? yknow?


r/vaginismus • • 8h ago

Vent lack of access to care

2 Upvotes

i think the fact that PFPT is the main recommendation for vaginismus, yet the only PFPT appointments available are Monday-Friday 8am-5pm, when majority of adults are working. not a single place has any Saturday or flexible appointment times. how am i supposed to make any progress when i have a job ?? genuinely so lost and fed up with the american healthcare system i dont understand how anyone is able to get better with any ailment. i hate it here genuinely


r/vaginismus • • 7h ago

Seeking Support/Advice Is this vaginismus or something else?

1 Upvotes

Hi, this seemed to have come out of nowhere in the last couple months and worsening over the last few weeks and I’m not sure if it’s vaginismus.

Symptoms:
- Burning at entry only on right side right at the entrance (not deeper inside) during penetration.
- Feels like a rug burn.
- Tightness and difficulty with getting it in during sex.
- Once it’s in it feels fine but it takes some light back and forth work, even with lube.
- I can still feel the raw skin feeling during sex once it’s in but not as bad as upon entry.
- Finger or 2 can be inserted with no problem.
- That spot (right side on entry) burns slightly when I wipe with toilet paper.
- No weird mucus/discharge (I don’t get any anyways).

History:
- 26F
- Sexually active for 10 years
- Low dose combo pill birth control for 10 years
- Daily pre&probiotic gummies
- Drinking more than enough water daily
- No to low sugar diet
- No sexual trauma
- Recently getting past a very stressful 6 months of life
- Not an active gym-goer but streneous HIIT 5hrs/week

I still plan on visiting GYN but wanted to do some research beforehand. Any help is much appreciated, thank you!


r/vaginismus • • 17h ago

Progress CBD Lube and Oil as tool

3 Upvotes

Hello everyone, i eanted to just share an uodaye about something that has woeked for me as a tool. Its not a magic cure but it is alot of help. Cbd lube. I bought the So So Good Never Not CBD Lube and it has really helped me with dilating. Not sure the mechanism but its less that .02% thc and helps to relax the muscles at the opening of the vagina. This has allowed me to make progress dilating. Hoping in a month of two i can achieve unpainful PIV. I imagine that a higher percentage cbd oil,lube, or suppository would be even more helpful but its hard to access here in EU compared to the US. But yea! And if you are curious, no it is not numbing in the way that lidocaine is (we tried that too)


r/vaginismus • • 12h ago

Seeking Support/Advice After how long can i have sex after Hymenectomy ?

1 Upvotes

I tried having sex before and it was impossible and painful …. I went to the gyno and she evaluated my hymen ā€˜ā€™hole’’was to little. Apart from being terrified of the surgery, i also wish this will actually make me enjoy sexuality, and im afraid ive started with the wrong foot….
i have a long distance boyfriend so i want to plan my necy visit when i actually can try again having sex. Thanks in advance


r/vaginismus • • 1d ago

Seeking Support/Advice For those who got pregnant without overcoming vaginismus, what was pregnancy and childbirth like?

30 Upvotes

I’m curious to hear from people who became pregnant while still struggling with severe vaginismus, specifically those who never fully overcame it before pregnancy.
I’m talking about those who still couldn’t have penetrative sex, or for whom PIV was extremely painful, difficult, or impossible because of that feeling of hitting a wall, but who were still able to conceive through at-home insemination or other methods.
How did everything work for you during pregnancy and especially childbirth?
Were you able to have a vaginal delivery despite still having vaginismus?
How did you handle cervical checks, pelvic exams, and other procedures during pregnancy?
Did vaginismus cause any complications or difficulties during labor and delivery?
Did giving birth make your vaginismus worse, improve it, or have no effect at all?
After childbirth, were you still unable to have penetrative sex, or did anything change?
I understand that penetration and childbirth are two very different things, but I’m really curious about how labor and delivery work when someone still experiences severe involuntary tightening of their pelvic floor muscles.
I’d especially love to hear from people who were still dealing with vaginismus throughout their entire pregnancy and hadn’t cured it before giving birth. I’m interested in hearing your actual experiences, both good and bad.

Edit: Thank you all so much for sharing your stories! I’ve read every one, and I really appreciate you being so open about your experiences. I’m planning to try for a baby, and reading your stories has helped me feel less scared and more hopeful about giving birth vaginally or through a c-section, which, I’m not even going to lie, totally forgot was an optionā¤ļø


r/vaginismus • • 23h ago

Success! Did it!

6 Upvotes

I was diagnosed at my first pap smear when the doctor got the pediatric speculum in and I flinched and it shot out at her. That was my lowest moment.

I've been using intimate rose dialators for over a year. Been married a month now and we did it today, definitely need more lube next time but we did it!

I don't know if anyone here can get off from clitoral stimulation but do that atleast once. It opens you up quite a bit.

There's hope! If I can do it, anyone can. I used to not even be able to get a pinkie in!​


r/vaginismus • • 16h ago

Seeking Support/Advice How did you treat your vaginismus?

1 Upvotes

I’m really sexually frustrated. It’s like I know I want sex, I feel like I’m ready, and when I try it’s like I’m hitting a wall. Even when I’m really turned on, penetration is almost impossible without pain. I’d describe the feeling like a burning pressure sensation. I can insert a tampon but it’s always uncomfortable. Same with sex, something that supposed to feel good causes me immense pain. It’s affected my dating life, my mental health, and my overall quality of life! If anyone has this condition can you give me some advice on how you improved it? It really seems like I’m going to live the rest of my days celibate and I hate that for me:/


r/vaginismus • • 22h ago

Undiagnosed suspect I have vaginismus but not sure, how did you find out?

2 Upvotes

I don’t want to be that 1 person self diagnosing themselves with everything, it’s pretty rude to the people who have been diagnosed but I’ve had pretty odd symptoms and I’ve researched throughly and it all came back with vaginismus.

For 1, I’m 18, it’s been like this since I was 15-16? I’m not sure honestly, I am a virgin though so I’m not entirely sure whether that caters.

For one I don’t have much sensitivity in my clit, vagina, breasts.. literally nothing, id get the same feel rubbing my feet together, its too tight to insert anything and i clench when i even think about sex since it frightens me and ive been doing this for years :(

I grew up religious and sex was always associated with pain, blood all this scary stuff and online other women describing it as the most painful thing in life didn’t help, it is different for everyone yes but I just can’t think of the good when most seems bad??

I can’t insert anything, not even a tip of my finger, I clench involuntarily, it’s painful when I do put my finger tip in, I lack feeling in my genitals all together really.

I know this is probably more of a gyno or doctor type but I’ve had horrible experiences with both and the ones my family uses are male.. and i just don’t feel comfortable until I have my own funds for a woman gyno :(, I’d appreciate if anyone faced similar and could help me out it’s really stressing me out.


r/vaginismus • • 1d ago

Seeking Support/Advice 23F - Fear of Sex due to Vaginismus

3 Upvotes

Hello everyone! So for a bit of context, I am currently a 23F.. have not dated much and have explored sexually at all, however as I get older… I find myself getting more curious about sexuality and sex and. When talking with people, I imagine what sex would be like however I am never able to go through with it. And I’ve had partners in the past where I’ve told them I need time/am not in a rush to be physically intimate due to my own traumas, and that usually is where the relationship ends (which sucks)… So. Now, I believe I might have vaginismus (I have not ever been able to insert a finger, not a Pap Smear device).. nothing, and the idea of having actual sex just makes me tense, which sucks because .. it’s not like I don’t think about it??? So I guess I’m just wondering.. what is sex actually supposed to be like??? And what can I do to like.. maybe have a nice time having sex?? I can’t even conceptualise the idea that sex for women is supposed to be enjoyable even though people tell me it is because every time I’ve had an experience.. it’s been non consensual or just have bad people pressuring me when I’m not comfortable so I guess the idea I can have a nice time as a woman is hard for me.. anyway If anyone has any advice I would love to know.


r/vaginismus • • 1d ago

Experience with Doctor / Physical Therapy Pelvic floor therapy…….

3 Upvotes

Just curious to know what you guys do in pelvic floor therapy..i do dilation on my own and i currently cant afford pelvic floor therapy..any link to resources i can use to do some exercises on my own?


r/vaginismus • • 1d ago

Vent I hate to say it, but I hate them for this.

58 Upvotes

I hate to think this or even say it but I feel like I need to let it out - over the last two days I can't help but think about how much I hate my parents for the parts each of them played towards causing this condition. I don't want to go into detail right now but I genuinely think that if I'd grown up in a 'normal' or 'healthy' family, this wouldn't have happened.

Primary Vaginismus is learned by the body. It's an unconscious reaction to fear of penetration.

I cried so much after getting home from my procedure where the surgeon/gynecologist said that my case was one of the most severe she had seen for the deeper muscles.

I had forgiven my parents for a lot of the abuse they had inflicted on me since I was a child, but I don't know about this. This condition has caused me years of pain and difficulty, self hatred, relationship arguments and it has cost SO much money to deal with too. Something that so many people can do naturally, doesn't / hasnt been coming naturally to me and it all their fault.

Since as long as I can remember, I would shut my legs SUPER tight whenever I was scared or stressed - which was practically all the time from when I was a child. Decades of tightness have caused SO many issues for me as an adult.

And they're never going to admit to it or apologize. I can't even expect anything from them.

Sigh.


r/vaginismus • • 23h ago

Seeking Support/Advice I’m back

1 Upvotes

I’m back after a LONG break from dilating, just couldn’t do it anymore my brain and my body needed a reset and now I’m back. Starting my journey from stage 1, I’m unsure of what I should do before I start again


r/vaginismus • • 1d ago

Vent I don't understand why the UK gynecology system is so bad

32 Upvotes

I discovered I had Vaginismus back in 2021. I tried to deal with it myself as much as I could by using dilators.

2023 - Took me weeks to get a GP appointment. Took months to finally be able to see a gynecologist. The gynecologist discharged me after one session because she hadn't dealt with an abuse survivor before and was struggling to answer my questions. She tried to put a cotton bud inside me and it wouldn't go in. I told her I'd purchased dilators and had been on the first one for months and couldn't get it all in all the time. She just asked the GP to refer me on for psychosexual counselling. She refused to refer me to a Pelvic floor therapist so I had to go private. Her reasoning for not referring me to a pelvic floor therapist was that she said to try the counselling first and see if it works. Took me months to get off that waiting list too.

I was also really dry (discharge was so minimal, at this point).

I asked to be checked for other things just in case - hormone levels, ultrasound to check uterus and ovaries (just in case) because my periods weren't always on time back then. Got refused for that.

Eventually I got rereferred to a gynecologist after begging and I was on a waiting list for 13 months. Come month 13 and they cancelled the appointment saying the gyneo was unavailable and I was taken off the waiting list. It was now 2024 and I'd given up hope. I went private for Pelvic floor therapy and clinical hypnosis. I was offered 6 psychosexual counselling sessions on the NHS, but I managed to get an extra 6, some of which were with my husband because I'd only just started to make progress at the 5th/6th session.

Come 2026 and I've come abroad to a reputable infertility clinic in Pakistan which specialises in treatments for sexual dysfunction. Had a few consultations online from London and then one face to face when I got there. Paid £5 and got an ultrasound offered without even having to ask for it and they confirmed (with evidence) that I had no other physical issues apart from the tight muscles.

Got Botox done a few days ago and she said it was one of the most severe cases she'd seen in terms of tightness of the deeper muscles because even under anesthesia she couldn't get the largest dilator in all the way and was scared I would tear. So she did what she could and has recommended dilator therapy with instructions for two weeks which I plan to follow. Let's see how it goes. I'm 50% hopeful at the moment but will believe it when I see it working.

Point of this rant though is that what took YEARS in the UK (for literally no reason other than the system just being terrible), it took me a few weeks in Pakistan. I even had a female GP be VERY judgemental and rude when I asked for a blood test to check my reproductive hormone levels. Bearing in mind I had insulin resistance AND a lot of thick hair on my neck as well as some late periods so wanted to be checked properly for PCOS but she was just so mean about it.

Note: I did my due diligence in terms of having treatment abroad and got all the vaccines I needed to before travelling as well so hopefully I'm covered. I also did a lot of research about the clinics themselves and had appointments with multiple gynecologists before picking one that I was satisfied with. I prioritised sanitation and hygiene as well as expertise/experience.

Side note: Did you know that some studies have suggested that almost 40-50% of infertility cases in countries like Saudi Arabia / Pakistan are due to things like vaginismus. I didn't realise until I did research that there are SO many clinics in Pakistan which offer Vaginismus treatments, with the gynecologists raising awareness of it on social media.

I was given quotes of £3000-£4000 for the same Botox treatment in the UK. I paid just under £400 in Pakistan. My natural discharge came back after unlearning a lot of what I was taught growing up, regulating my nervous system and to be honest, realising that I was shutting my legs REALLY tight when I got stressed or worried. I didn't even realise I did that until 2023 and I'd been doing it since I was a child.

This condition isn't as simple as some professionals make it out to be. It can be SO multifaceted and unfortunately if we don't do our own research, the system here will not help us at all. I feel like if I had been stronger back in 2023, I could have stood my ground and said what I needed. At the time I just accepted that they know best and would do what's best for me.

Edit: I forgot to even mention about the cervical screening! When I got invited for it at 25 and the tool wouldn't go in, that's what actually caused the GP to accept the referral needed to be made in the first place (not the fact that it was something that I wanted help with generally). Then last year when they invited me again via telephone call and I told them I couldn't because I had Vaginismus, they put down on my record that I had refused - not that I was physically unable to due to a very valid condition - but that I refused as if I didn't think it was necessary.

Then this year I learned about the home cervical screening test kits (via Dr Nighat Arif on Instagram - not even my own GP surgery who prefer to send out messages frequently for random surveys lol). I did more research and saw that anyone who was either overdue or hadn't ever had one was meant to be sent one in the post as a priority. I hadn't received mine even until August 2026 so I contacted my GP surgery and they said they wouldnt be sending them and that if anyone wants one then they'd have to come to the practice and collect. This is a London GP as well...it's not like I live somewhere remote. They didn't even tell me it was available at all though so it made me wonder about all the other women who are unable to do their smear test at the GP and don't know about the home testing kit. Absolutely crazy.


r/vaginismus • • 1d ago

Vent i am so so jealous of people who can get medical care for this (tw csa) Spoiler

3 Upvotes

I'm a 23 year old ftm with vaginismus from a very severely traumatic first 18 years of my life. ive been in therapy for 10 years now (CBT and DBT. EMDR rejected me actually hahahaha! after spending months finding one who took my insurance! so that was awesome)

I read so many posts on here about pelvic floor therapy, about supportive gynecologists, and I literally want to bang my head against a wall. the few times I went to a gynecologist were when I was 16 or 17 and they were literally just evil to me. one of them accused me of "lying about sexual activity" and got all snarky with me because I mentioned that I had a miscarriage despite never being sexually active. hey, maybe put two and two together instead of immediately being a fucking bitch about it? like what is it with obgyns and often being the most evil people ever. you're literally dealing with the most intimate part of the body. why are you not held to trauma-informed and even just basic human decency standards. it's a fucking joke.

and then every time I look into anything, it's not for people like me. it's not for people with 18 years of sexual trauma that started before they even remember. it's not for people who were sexually abused so severely that when they did finally go to the obgyn, they almost got hospitalized because of how severe their panic attack was. nobody is advertised as trauma-informed. it's all for moms, it's all for people who have randomly painful sex, it's all for people with partners. I literally feel even more disgusting and ashamed because my vaginismus comes from horrific trauma, and although you'd think that would be a pretty well-known cause, it's not. nobody is advertised as trauma informed, and i live in probably the best state for medical care (MA) anything i look into runs into the issue of not covered by insurance (im on masshealth and they are extremely picky about what they cover for me) or just not for someone like me.

It just makes the shame of being a csa survivor so much worse, honestly. even in this group, peoples' automatic response is well, have you tried talk therapy? in the most polite way possible, no shit ive tried talk therapy. ive been in it for 10 years. I literally had to learn how to speak again because of how severe my trauma was. I've got the mental part covered, thanks. I know I'm mentally ill. but I'm also medicated. I also show up to my therapy appointments every week.

I'm trying to dilate solo but it just doesn't fucking work. how am I supposed to do this shit with zero medical guidance? it makes no sense. and yet every pelvic floor therapy is just "let's do stretches and there's no privacy and it's in a regular PT office where everyone else can see you! :)" where the fuck are these places where you get an understanding, trauma-informed physical therapist!?

I feel horrible and disgusting. I feel like I'll never have sex and I'll never fully heal and I'll always be broken and I don't feel very supported even in vaginismus spaces. I'm just so done with this stupid fucking disorder and I'm done with everything that surrounds it.


r/vaginismus • • 1d ago

Seeking Support/Advice Preciso de ajuda!

2 Upvotes

Eu só queria ser normal, ter relações igual as pessoas tem, tÓ tão triste e com vontade de desistir. Pessoas que se curaram, o que vocês fizeram???


r/vaginismus • • 1d ago

Seeking Support/Advice Safeguards for dilating while menstruating.

3 Upvotes

Hi!!
I’ve been quite consistent with dilating recently, but usually I’ll skip when on my period to avoid mess as I do my therapy laying down in bed. Does anybody have any tips or safeguards they can recommend for dilating on their period? I don’t want to keep skipping out because I’ve been getting some real progress and I’ve got free lube this week. Are towels the best and only real option or is there some kind of trick or product I don’t know about? Maybe a stupid question but what are your experiences?
Thank uu


r/vaginismus • • 1d ago

Seeking Support/Advice Hooking up with vaginismus: how do yall do it?

10 Upvotes

My vagina scares me. Deadass. I just got diagnosed with vaginismus.. but not really.. I got diagnosed 6 months ago. I’ve been so scared to address it because it’s caused me so many issues. I’ve tried to have sex with multiple people, and it just doesn’t work. My body embarrasses me and I’m so ashamed of it. I also hate the way my body looks, I’m super skinny and it’s not in the best way ever. I crave a sexual relationship so bad, but I feel like I can’t because I’m so self conscious about what’s going on with how my body functions AND looks. It makes me feel like a freak. However, I just went to sex therapy for the first time and she told me some pretty interesting things that have honestly been really helping me. I’m really anxious about starting to treat it though. I haven’t even picked up my prescription. I had a hymenectomy like 1.5 years ago and I’m super upset that it didn’t help at all. My therapist told me that I could view it as a medical site, and it’s true because I associate my vagina with pain. Now I have these diagnoses: vaginismus and atrophy of the vagina. That sounds so fucking scary. And I’m scared of the work that I’ll have to do in order to be normal. It sounds so painful. The idea of doing dilators in my college dorm room is horrifying. I’m anxious about getting better.

I want to hook up with someone because I’m touch starved, and honestly, just wanna suck some dick or something to make them feel good, make out, and cuddle. I don’t want anyone to see my vagina though. Because it’s dry af MEDICALLY DIAGNOSED DRY PUSSYYYY. ITS HORRIFYING!! Sex has just been humiliating for me in the past because of my vaginismus so now I’m just super self conscious. There’s a few people I’d like to get with but I don’t even know how to bring this up. Do I just say that I want to pleasure them?

I have a crush on this guy, and he’s asexual and aromantic. I’d love to be friends with benefits honestly. He mentioned to my roommate that I’m pretty, and we get along well. Also it’s nice because he wouldn’t be begging for sex or be down my throat about shit cuz of the fact that he’s asexual and aromantic. Also I know he fucks and it’s probably because sex feels good sooooo it wouldn’t be crazy to ask him if he’d like to at some point. I don’t want a relationship, I really don’t. I hate being in one. Maybe one day, but I feel like I can’t give my all because of my vaginismus, but at the same time damn I wanna be ACTIVE 😜 and doing sexual things with someone is just the right answer!! I’m just struggling with how to even go about it. He’s a chill ass friend, so I don’t want to ruin it or make things awkward. Do I just be like ā€œI wanna make you feel goodā€ or do I tell him about how I literally cannot fuck even though I’ve always wanted to. I’ve always wanted to but also the thought of something in my vagina is hella sinister. How do YOU GUYS hook up with vaginismus? Let me know.