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Professional help is not always accessible. Vaginismus is sufficiently rare that many physicians have never heard of it or have little experience with diagnosis or treatment.
Vaginismus is a disorder that often ‘falls between the cracks’ of general medical practices. Women may simply not get the care they need or in many cases initially experience incorrect diagnosis or treatment advice from physicians who are simply unfamiliar with the condition. As vaginismus is considered to be in the ‘less-than-1%-of-the-population’ category, most physicians are not trained to screen for it or to even have familiarity with it. Also, as there may be no purely physical ailment that is apparent with vaginismus, some physicians feel that it is a condition that would be better suited to another health specialization. Unfortunately, as a result, some women are left feeling that the medical professions do not understand vaginismus, that the problem is untreatable, or that there are few treatment options.
Beyond sometimes being difficult to find professionals that are familiar with vaginismus, there are still other barriers to getting care with knowledgeable vaginismus specialists. Obtaining a proper diagnosis and quality treatment by medical specialists or therapists can be hampered by a variety of factors such as:
We promote and believe in the effectiveness and invaluable assistance of knowledgeable medical professionals to tailor individual treatment based on a woman’s unique personal circumstances. However, we also understand how difficult it can be to obtain the help of an informed professional. No matter how difficult, embarrassing, inconvenient or remote her situation, the self-help program brings information and treatment directly to a woman allowing her to seek help despite her circumstances. The program empowers each woman to understand her condition and assists her in finding appropriate treatment solutions to resolve the vaginismus.
While the ideal situation for couples is to have a specialist available to guide them through individualized treatment, the effectiveness of self-help is undeniable. Statistically, self-help has also been supported by studies such as Schnyder, Schnyder-Luthi, Ballinari, & Blaser, 1998 and Lankveld, Everaerd, & Grotjohann, 2001.
See also:
"I can recommend use of this resource by all patients with vaginismus" - APTA Journal of Women's Health Physical Therapy
- Beth Shelly, PT, BCIA-PMDB
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