{"id":545642,"date":"2026-03-17T06:43:15","date_gmt":"2026-03-17T06:43:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/545642\/"},"modified":"2026-03-17T06:43:15","modified_gmt":"2026-03-17T06:43:15","slug":"what-is-vaginismus-and-how-do-you-know-if-you-have-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/545642\/","title":{"rendered":"What is vaginismus and how do you know if you have it?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Madeleine Edwards had never heard of the term vaginismus before, but about six months after giving birth to her baby girl Carmine, she was diagnosed with the condition.<\/p>\n

The 31-year-old, who lives in Naarm\/Melbourne, says it was a “heavy” diagnosis to receive as she adjusted to motherhood.<\/p>\n

According to experts, women and those assigned female at birth who have vaginismus often put up with intense vaginal pain and don’t know it can be treated.<\/p>\n

Our expertsPav Nanayakkara, a minimally invasive gynaecological surgeon from Jean Hailes for Women’s HealthJenny Pell, a senior physiotherapist at Melbourne’s Royal Women’s HospitalSarah Ashton, sexual health psychologist and the director and founder of Sexual Health and Intimacy Psychological Services (SHIPS)What is vaginismus?<\/p>\n

“Vaginismus is a very common medical condition where the muscles in the vagina contract involuntarily,” says Pav Nanayakkara, an associate professor and minimally invasive gynaecological surgeon from Jean Hailes for Women’s Health.<\/p>\n

This involuntary tightening of muscles can occur during sex, the insertion of tampons or medical procedures, Dr Nanayakkara adds.<\/p>\n

\"Pav<\/p>\n

Pav Nanayakkara says for those experiencing vaginismus, painful muscle tightening can occur any time there is penetration. (Supplied: Jean Hailes for Women\u2019s Health)<\/p>\n

Some research suggests it affects between one and six per cent of women<\/a>, but Dr Nanayakkara thinks it impacts more women than that.\u00a0<\/p>\n

“A lot of patients don’t come forward with it, but we estimate that around five to 10 per cent of people will have it at some point in their lives.”<\/p>\n

And although the symptoms are the same, there are two types of vaginismus.<\/p>\n

“It can occur primarily, so without any previous trauma, or it can occur secondary to something that’s happened,” Dr Nanayakkara explains.<\/p>\n

She says birth trauma is a common cause of secondary vaginismus.<\/p>\n

“The body is trying to protect you from whatever it is that was traumatic.”<\/p>\n

“[Childbirth] can be a really traumatic experience, and it might be because of severe tearing, a feeling of vulnerability, or not feeling heard [during the birthing process].”<\/p>\n

Senior physiotherapist at Melbourne’s Royal Women’s Hospital, Jenny Pell, describes it as a “muscle spasm” \u2014 the brain perceiving a threat and at that moment, attempting to protect the body.<\/p>\n

Other causes of vaginismus include negative sexual experiences, pelvic surgery, vulval skin issues and infections, Ms Pell says.<\/p>\n

“Often being able to realise why the body is reacting in this way can take the fear out of the symptoms and allow physical progress to begin.”<\/p>\n

Have you experienced vaginismus?\u00a0Share with us here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

An isolating experience<\/p>\n

During labour, Carmine’s heart rate dropped and Madeleine was advised that her best options were a C-section or an episiotomy (an incision to enlarge the vaginal opening) and forceps, she says.<\/p>\n

She chose the latter.<\/p>\n

\"Madeleine<\/p>\n

Madeleine Edwards says an infection meant she needed additional surgery after Carmine’s birth. (Supplied: Madeleine Edwards)<\/p>\n

It would be the first of three sets of stitches to the episiotomy site in about four months due to a painful series of complications including infection, Madeleine says.<\/p>\n

She was then diagnosed with vaginismus during a review appointment a few months after her last operation.<\/p>\n

“They were like, ‘[your vagina is] very, very dry. You are tensing up a lot more than you should be when we’re near that area’.”<\/p>\n

A few weeks later, a different gynaecologist gave her the same diagnosis. That’s when she remembers feeling validated.<\/p>\n

“I was still kind of scared of my vagina.<\/p>\n

“No-one in my immediate life could experience that with me and honestly, no one really knew what vaginismus was \u2014 me included.”<\/p>\n

From trying and failing to have penetrative sex to avoiding touching the entire area in the shower, Madeleine says it didn’t feel like there was an “opening” there.<\/p>\n

“You’re meant to be connected to that part of your body [and] feeling the disconnect is very, very sad.”<\/p>\n

More women’s health stories:<\/p>\n

Don’t ‘push through’<\/p>\n

Both Dr Nanayakkara and Ms Pell agree that getting a diagnosis and understanding your symptoms are crucial.<\/p>\n

“The worst thing you can do is try to push through it, because then that negative association becomes stronger and it’s harder to break that cycle,” Dr Nanayakkara says.<\/p>\n

Ms Pell says she regularly treats women who have experienced symptoms for a long time, without a diagnosis, and have simply tried to “push through” the physical resistance to intercourse and the pain it creates.<\/p>\n

“Pushing through is rarely the answer. For most people this makes their symptoms worse and harder to treat.<\/p>\n

“I can’t tell you how many times each week I have patients coming to their appointments, feeling alone in their diagnosis and asking if other women also experience these symptoms.”<\/p>\n

It’s not just ‘in your head’<\/p>\n

Sarah Ashton, a sexual health psychologist, says there’s a misconception that because there’s a psychological element to vaginismus, it’s “in someone’s head” or “not real”.<\/p>\n

The director and founder of Sexual Health and Intimacy Psychological Services (SHIPS) says “the pain is real, the experience is real, there’s real distress [and] real impacts on people’s lives.”<\/p>\n

The “trauma” that has led to vaginismus isn’t necessarily physical and is not always obvious, Dr Ashton says.<\/p>\n

“Common presentations include growing up in a cultural or religious environment that shames or stigmatises sexual activity \u2026 their body may still hold this kind of protective response to sex.”<\/p>\n

Dr Ashton says patients aren’t just experiencing pain during sex. It’s also likely having an impact on their mental health \u2014 as well as their intimate relationships.<\/p>\n

“A really common dynamic is someone has vaginismus and then because they experience pain whenever there’s a sexual encounter, their partner might develop erectile difficulties because they feel a sense of anxiety about causing pain.”<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Sarah Ashton is also the director and founder of the Institute of Sexual Health Psychology Australia. (Supplied: Sarah Ashton)<\/p>\n

Can vaginismus be treated?<\/p>\n

Dr Ashton says vaginismus can be treated by a range of professionals including general practitioners (GPs), physiotherapists, gynaecologists, psychologists and sex therapists.<\/p>\n

“We work as part of a multidisciplinary team and so we would always make sure that somebody has had other causes explored or ruled out.”<\/p>\n

Ms Pell says seeing a GP who can help rule out any other factors is the best place to start.<\/p>\n

But for those with vaginismus, Ms Pell says pelvic floor physios can be seen without a referral and have experience assessing and treating the condition.<\/p>\n

“Techniques like stretches, massage and heat can assist in relieving tension and can be taught by a physiotherapist as a technique to be used at home to alleviate symptoms.”<\/p>\n

Dr Nanayakkara says getting proper medical advice can help “break the cycle”.<\/p>\n

“If you recognise that sex is suddenly painful, or putting in a tampon is painful where it wasn’t previously, the first step is probably to seek advice from a health professional.”<\/p>\n

If you’ve recently given birth and are unhappy with something that happened, Dr Nanayakkara says debriefing with your obstetrician or midwifery team can help you process any associated trauma.<\/p>\n

Stigma and shame\"Madeleine<\/p>\n

Madeleine Edwards says the support of her partner Matt made the experience easier. (Supplied: Madeleine Edwards)<\/p>\n

Madeleine, a former beauty therapist, turned to content creation during the pandemic and has shared her experience with vaginismus on social media.<\/p>\n

“You feel like you’re airing out your dirty laundry talking about this stuff,” she says.<\/p>\n

But Madeleine says she wants to be “loud and proud” about her experience because she doesn’t want other women to feel shame.<\/p>\n

While her relationship with her body is not back to normal, Madeleine says her symptoms have improved a lot.<\/p>\n

“You don’t really know how you’re meant to feel, obviously everyone’s going to feel different, but you don’t know when something is normal or abnormal,” she says.<\/p>\n

Madeleine wants other women to get treatment and support.<\/p>\n

“If I had someone to watch or listen to who had been through something similar, I would feel less alien and less alone.”<\/p>\n

This is general information only. For detailed personal advice, you should see a qualified medical practitioner who knows your medical history.<\/p>\n

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