Misconceptions About Vaginismus

There are much false, exaggerated and incorrect information about sexuality, the first night and the hymen. We call such incorrect and exaggerated information about sexuality as “sexual myths”.

There are uncountable misconceptions about these sexual myths and vaginismus.

Here are some of the myths and false information that spread as rumors among people:

“Why am I the only one suffering from vaginismus?”

Vaginismus is not just your problem, but it is a sexual dysfunction that is frequently encountered all around the world.

According to the results of a research conducted by CETAD (Sexual Education Treatment and Research Association),vaginismus rate in Turkey is 10%. Thus, one person out of every ten is unable to experience full intercourse during a sexual relation or experience it with a lot of pain.

In respect to the cultural structure and values, vaginismus is widely encountered in Turkey. Many patients hide this problem even from their very close relatives and in a similar way, your relatives may also hide their own this very private problem from you.

Therefore, you should stop worrying thinking and asking yourself: “why did this trouble find me?”

“My vagina is smaller than normal”

Vagina is not an organ that can be observed from the outside and it is not much possible for you to see the vaginal channel which is inside.
Your vagina, normally in which the bottom and the top walls stay adjacent, during a sexual intercourse opens and widens. Due to the straight muscles and elastic bond tissues, your vagina has the ability to extent almost like an “accordion”.

Nevertheless, your vagina, which is shaped like an “S” and is 8 to 10 cm long, during sexual intercourse by straightening reaches 16 to 18 cm long.

Again vagina is the channel from which, during birth, a baby who has a head of 9-10 cm in diameter and 48-52 cm long body comes out.
It should not be forgotten that despite what the name vaginismus implies, it is not a problem of the vagina, but is of the subconscious.

“Interlocking occurs during sexual intercourse”

Interlocking during sexual intercourse or in its medical name “penis captivus” is a phenomenon that happens in animals (especially dogs) not in human beings.

After the male dog’s penis ejaculates sperms inside the female dog’s vagina, in order for there to be fertilization, male dog’s prostate secretions are needed; therefore the female dog’s vagina by contracting holds the penis inside.

This situation, which is very normal in animals, is never seen in human beings. Interestingly enough, many vaginismus patients as if they have consensually agreed to tell the same story, have heard this phenomenon from somewhere and cast them into their subconscious as fear. (Maybe this sexual myth is one of the causes for vaginismus)

“In the first night there is too much pain and bleeding”

If the person is very relaxed at the first night, she might not bleed at all or bleed very little. Again, pain might be none or is very little. However, with persons who get tense and constrict themselves during the insertion of the penis, it is naturally to have more than normal pain and bleeding due to the ruptures.

“The hymen pops up in the first night”

Hymen is not a structure that blasts, cracks or breaks. It is an approximately 2 mm thick extremely thin film located 2 cm away from the vaginal entrance.

During the first penetration, due to the small stretching and afterwards a few millimeters of tearing, sometimes a few drops of blood spill, yet most of the time it does not bleed at all.

“There can be treatment by removing the hymen”

Unfortunately, Hymenotomy, which is applied frequently by many gynecologists to vaginismus patients, does not cure vaginismus but only makes it worse.

A woman, whose hymen is removed, when she sees that there is no change in her condition would be disappointed even more and experience material and spiritual devastation. Vaginismus is not a vagina or hymen problem, but is a problem of the subconscious, thus the treatment should be directed at purging the fears in the subconscious.