What is vaginismus, is there a cure, do pelvic muscle exercises work and can it occur during pregnancy?

FOR most of us sex is an entirely wonderful thing.

But for some women, a rampant romp between the sheets can leave them in so much pain they avoid doing the deed altogether.

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Millions of women find sex painful because their vagina muscles involuntarily tightenCredit: Getty - Contributor

A common reason for this is a condition that causes the vagina to close up.

What is vaginismus?

Vaginismus is the  involuntary tightening of the muscles around the vagina whenever penetration, whether its with your man or using a sex toy, is attempted.

Even using tampons or a visit to the gynaecologist can leave sufferers in agony.

Vaginismus can completely disrupt a woman's sex life and cause her to lose all confidence in the bedroom.

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The exact causes of vaginismus is not known, but it is made worse when women associate pain with sexCredit: Getty - Contributor

And it can also lead to relationship problems even preventing a woman from becoming pregnant.

The condition varies from person to person - some women are unable to insert anything into their vagina, some can use a tampon but cannot have sex and some can have sex but find it extremely painful, according to the NHS.

Unfortunately, the knowledge that sex will cause pain can actually make the condition worse.

Simply thinking sex will be painful can cause the muscles around the vagina to involuntarily close up.

What are the symptoms of vaginismus?

The main symptom is the tightening of the vagina.

Other symptoms can include:

• a burning or stinging pain when the vagina is penetrated
• an intense fear of penetration and pain, which makes you avoid sex
• loss of sexual desire

The tightening of the vagina is involuntary - meaning you cannot do anything to stop it.

The body has learned to associate penetration with pain and, whenever penetration is expected, the vaginal muscles tighten as a protection.

There is a common misconception that a woman with vaginismus does not want to have sex, but this is untrue.

In fact, the condition can be very frustrating for a woman when sexual desire is there.

Many women can experience sexual pleasure with their partner and can achieve an orgasm during masturbation, foreplay and oral sex.

How is vaginismus treated?

Luckily, though the cause of the condition is not known, it can be treated.

Sex therapy in the form of counselling can help overcome the fear of having sex caused by the condition.

Once you stop fearing that sex will cause pain the muscles around your vagina may relax more.

Some experts will also recommend pelvic floor exercises to regain control over the muscles and relaxation therapy techniques to help your muscles relax when you want to have sex.

Pelvic floor exercises are recommended along with dilators, a common tool used to help desensitise the vaginal muscles to prepare them for having sex again.

It's important that as a woman tries to regain control over her pelvic floor muscles she practises relaxation techniques as well, this will help relax the muscles next time penetration is attempted.

Some women have reported having great results using Botox.

Botox is thought to weaken the muscle spasms that are causing the vaginismus.

The treatment involves injections into the vagina muscles while under anaesthesia.

Generally only one treatment is needed even though Botox lasts only about four months.

Can it occur during pregnancy?

Vaginismus can occur at any time in a woman's life, but is more common after trauma down there.

Pregnancy is not a common cause of the condition, but a traumatic childbirth can definitely leave a woman nervous about having sex again.

Anything that causes severe pain down there, including infections and a bad sexual experience, can trigger vaginismus.

If you feel scared or worried about having sex, or start to find it painful or unbearable, you should speak to your GP.