Very little information is available on the consultation and treatment histories of women with lifelong and acquired vaginismus.

This study was conducted to address three areas of interest: first, to collect information on which health care professionals women with acquired and lifelong vaginismus consult and how helpful such consultation were; second, to examine which treatments were typically received and how helpful patients rate such interventions; and third, to explore participants’ causal attributions of the vaginal penetration problems as those are what appear to guide patients towards consulting specific health care professionals as well as affecting the openness towards different interventions.

An online survey was conducted with 212 participants. Data were analyzed using the responses of 93 women with acquired vaginismus and 75 women with lifelong vaginismus.

The main outcomes were the results of the online survey.

Gynecologists and family doctors were most frequently consulted, but only gynecologists were rated as helpful. Psychologists and sex therapists were also frequently consulted and rated as helpful. Physiotherapists were consulted by fewer women but considered most helpful. Women with lifelong vaginismus were significantly more likely to have received vaginal dilatation, sex education, and Kegel exercises as treatment. Women with acquired vaginismus were more likely to have received pharmacological interventions and to have tried a greater range of interventions. Educational gynecological examinations, talking about the meaning of the penetration problem, vaginal dilatation, and sex education were rated as most helpful interventions. Causal attributions were pain and fear- and disgust-based attributions for women with lifelong vaginismus.

Results highlight the importance of a biopsychosocial conceptualization of and multidisciplinary treatment approach to lifelong and acquired vaginismus.