How common is the symptom Vaginismus among people with endometriosis?
48,84% of people with endometriosis reported Vaginismus as a symptom of endometriosis in our survey.
How common is the symptom Vaginismus among people with endometriosis compared to the non-affected group?
5,52% of people with endometriosis suffer from the symptom Vaginismus very strong compared to a prevalence of 1,27% among non-affected individuals.
The following table shows the symptom Vaginismus in people with endometriosis compared to non-affected individuals. The scale ranges from 1 (not at all) to 5 (very strong).
| Symptom severity | Endometriosis | Non-affected | Comparison |
|---|---|---|---|
| not at all | 51,16% | 85,35% | -34,19% |
| slightly | 16,44% | 6,37% | 10,07% |
| moderate | 18,10% | 5,10% | 13,01% |
| strong | 8,78% | 1,91% | 6,87% |
| very strong | 5,52% | 1,27% | 4,25% |
Based on the datasets, we calculated the Kendall correlation. The following symptoms could be related to Vaginismus.
| Symptom name | Correlation |
|---|---|
| Pain during intercourse | moderate correlation (33,00%) |
| Pain after intercourse | moderate correlation (31,00%) |
Vaginismus is the medical term for the painful, spasmodic contraction of the vaginal and pelvic floor muscles. The spasm occurs, among other situations, during sexual intercourse or when you try to insert a tampon. The cause of vaginismus is psychological in nature. Nevertheless, endometriosis can be a cause of vaginismus.
The symptoms of vaginismus are:
Endometriosis is clearly a physical, not a psychological, condition. Clusters of cells that resemble the endometrium (the uterine lining) develop outside the uterus. The so-called endometriotic lesions are most often found in the pelvis. However, more distant organs such as the bowel, diaphragm, lungs, and brain can also be affected. The lesions are subject to the hormonal cycle that also regulates the endometrium itself. They therefore initially grow and then bleed. If the blood cannot leave the body, inflammation and often adhesions and scarring result.
Endometriosis can be a cause of vaginismus in these ways:
Treatment consists of a combination of specialized pelvic floor muscle training and relaxation exercises. It is also important that you talk with your partner about the situation and reach out to your doctor.