Does your vagina feels stiff?

Vaginismus is a condition where the muscles surrounding the entrance to the vagina involuntarily tighten, making attempts at penetration or insertion consistently and painfully uncomfortable or even impossible.

Causes can by physical, psychological, or both. Vaginismus is sometimes linked to feelings of fear, shame, guilt, or anxiety around sex, or past traumatic experiences. Sometimes it's linked to a painful underlying condition such as injury to the area, thrush or endometriosis, or experiences around processes like pregnancy, childbirth, or menopause. These are just a few examples- there's a vast combination of possible causes and the physical and psychological often impact each other. So solutions tend to involve gradually retraining the body and the mind using exercises and therapy such that penetration or insertion begins to feel more comfortable over time. A doctor and/or therapist can help determine the solutions that best suit your circumstances.

While we are often dismissively told that sex "just IS painful for women", as if it's simply one more thing on the long list of inconveniences that as a woman you have no choice but to put up with, in fact, sex should not be painful, and going through with sex when it is painful should not be expected of people of any gender.

Know that sexual intimacy does not have to involve penetration if it's uncomfortable for you. And that there's no shame in seeing a therapist and/or gynac if this is something you're going through and would like professional guidance and care. You can also involve your partner if you both would like to worth through and would like professional guidance and care. You can also involve your partner if you both would like to worth through things together - couples therapy is often also recommended.