Vaginismus is one of the lesser-discussed conditions related to women’s sexual health and wellness, where the pelvic floor and the vagina tighten up to avoid penetrative intercourse.
A few months into her marriage, Anjana R., 31, realised that she was unable to have sex with her partner. “My body would not respond. All I could feel was pain. I researched the condition and realised that I may be suffering from vaginismus,” says the Chennai resident. Vaginismus is one of the lesser-discussed conditions related to women’s sexual health and wellness, where the pelvic floor and the vagina tighten up to avoid penetrative intercourse. It is an uncontrollable muscle spasm, a phobic response to penetration, which has harmful consequences.
In the next few weeks, she visited three gynaecologists. “They gave me fertility advice. I felt gaslit; they were not ready to address my core issue,” says Anjana.
Taru Jindal, a Mumbai-based gynaecologist, who has helped over 450 women heal their vaginismus through a holistic approach, says that often when women approach gynaecologists complaining about “painful sex,” they usually suggest surgery to remove the hymen or Botox to paralyse the nerves of the vagina. “They don’t understand that vaginismus is not merely a physical block; it is the woman’s mind saying no as it perceives sex as a threatening activity. It is often linked to trauma or sexual abuse in the past, the portrayal of violence against women in the media, or preconceived notions of sex being painful,” says Dr. Jindal, who suffered from vaginismus for nearly seven years.
High prevalence
While there is no nationwide prevalence study on vaginismus in India, multiple case reports and hospital-specific studies are cited to establish the prevalence of the condition. For instance, the Department of Obstetrics Gynaecology (OBG) Physiotherapy at the Karnataka-based Institute of Physiotherapy run KLE Academy of Higher Education and Research, conducted an observational study in 160 women from 20 to 35 who faced fertility issues and sought treatment. When they were screened for Vaginismus, 58% were found to be suffering from complaints linked to the condition: fear of penetration, painful sex, and tensing of the pelvic floor muscle.
While researching her condition, Anjana stumbled upon Dr. Jindal’s work at a Bengaluru-based company called Proactive For Her. Their three-month online programme focusses on physical and emotional healing. “Traditionally, vaginismus is not taught in medical school. So, I referred to a lot of western material and designed a step-wise approach, which included psychological support, pelvic floor relaxation exercises, dilation of the vagina, couples therapy, and introduced pleasure components,” she says.
Providing support to women dealing with the unbearable pain of vaginismus
Anjana is middle-class. She enrolled for the three-month programme which cost her a steep ₹30,000. She said the programme was worth it, as it spanned eight weeks and included 24 sessions with multiple experts. Male partners were encouraged to join. “My partner financially supported my situation, so I was okay, but many women are unable to afford these costs. For some, the cost of the programme is their entire monthly salary,” she says.
Dr. Jindal said that currently she is running the 32nd batch of 60 women, and there are already 35 women on the waitlist to join the next batch. “We now have the largest cohort of women living with vaginismus who have healed. We are in the process of publishing our research findings in an international journal, as historically there is hardly any research, data, or documentation of such cases from India,” she said.
Dr. Jindal said the programme cost has now been reduced from ₹30,000 to 20,000. “We have been receiving enquiries from women who could not afford the fee, so we have brought it down,” she said.
It is not the case that vaginismus was not present in Indian women of the previous generation. However, in the previous generation, sexual pain was normalised and not questioned. Vaginismus has been described in medical literature since the mid-18th century in the US. Women who have healed themselves like Petek Tatli from Istanbul and Katrin Maslenkova from Canada are now vaginismus coaches who help women heal world-wide.
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Initiatives and start-ups that address lesser known conditions related to women’s sexual health in India are a positive step. “Women today are more empowered, and they are questioning their pain and speaking up,” says Dr. Jindal.
(porechamaitri.m@thehindu.co.in)
Published – September 27, 2024 06:00 am IST
