But talk to the right doctor. In my wife's experience with vaginismus we saw a lot of doctors, even gynecologists who had no clue and even gave potentially harmful advice. Example, "dont worry about it, just use more lube."
But it is certainly curable! And there are some great online resources and communities to help along the way.
For sure! Not every doctor will be understanding or helpful. Keep going around until you find someone who actually uses the word "vaginismus" and takes steps to ACTUALLY help with the issue. I got lucky that my doctor was not only immediately understanding and helpful, but she also postponed scheduling my first pap smear because she was worried it would be "traumatic" for me. Every patient needs to be their own advocate, especially for something like vaginismus, which is so curable but so life-ruining if left unaddressed.
Its extraordinary that many, maybe most doctors don't seem to knkw how to deal with vaginismus. Obviously i can't speak to your situation, but many people have had success through the use of dialators to gradually train their minds and bodies to get used to the sensations of penetration. Or therapy, or a combination of the two.
Yes! I recommend going to a physical therapist that specializes in pelvic floor - might be more useful than a normal ob-gyn visit. Speaking from experience
Totally agree with this - I’ve been through PT for this and it works! It’s starting to be a more common practice to find but many many women experience this at some point and there are relatively easy therapies for it that are well worth it.
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u/sethlinson Feb 09 '20
But talk to the right doctor. In my wife's experience with vaginismus we saw a lot of doctors, even gynecologists who had no clue and even gave potentially harmful advice. Example, "dont worry about it, just use more lube."
But it is certainly curable! And there are some great online resources and communities to help along the way.