‘Sex and intimacy aren’t a part of my life that I explore much these days because it feels like more hassle than it’s worth,’ says 32-year-old Lucy.
Lucy has vaginismus, a psychosomatic disorder that causes the vaginal muscles to automatically tighten up whenever penetration is attempted, causing penis-in-vagina (PIV) sex to be painful, uncomfortable or simply impossible.
According to Stina Sanders, a psychodynamic therapist specialising in relationships, ‘the pain caused by vaginismus is often described as burning, cramping, or a tight feeling and, for some, nothing can be inserted into the vagina.
