“In Lebanon, some couples are married for years, yet never had sexual intercourse (aka penetration) because of vaginismus. It gets to the point where several couples resorted to having  in vitro fertilization to conceive children,” explain Sandrine Atallah, sexologist in Lebanon.

Vaginismus is primarily a psychological disorder related to an irrational fear of penetration.  During the sex act, the woman vagina’s muscles squeeze or spasm, preventing any penetration or making it very painful. 

It’s pretty hard to have statistics on the number of women suffering from vaginismus, whether in Lebanon or in the rest of the world. As it’s a pretty taboo subject, most women don’t come forward with it. Estimation vary wildly between 0.2 % and 17 % (!). Dr. Atallah says that it’s the main reason couples come to her. “It’s linked to the taboo surrounding sex and the  sacralization of virginity”, she adds.
Because we don’t talk about sex at home in our country, a lot of women get scared when comes the time to have sex. And their body reacts by blocking any attempt of penetration. “By telling  girls over and over again that they are precious, some develop a phobia of their own body!”, says Atallah.  

Vaginismus can affect women of all ages. If you think you’re suffering of vaginismus don’t hesitate to see a psychologist or sex therapist. They can prescribe some exercises, as well as cognitive-behavioural treatment (CBT) or even hypnosis, which can all help.

Want to learn more about vaginismus and how to get over it ? Check this link.

This article is part of our investigation on sexuality, #LFonsexuality

Sources

Dr. Sandrine Atallah
https://www.webmd.com/women/guide/vaginismus-causes-symptoms-treatments
https://www.msdmanuals.com/home/women-s-health-issues/sexual-dysfunction-in-women/vaginismus

Reporting and writing: Nada Maucourant Atallah & Soraya Hamdan
Photo by Viliman on Unsplash
Editing: MJ Daoud