Vaginismus and its correlates

Abstract

Forty couples who applied for the treatment of vaginismus dysfunction were assessed for sexual satisfaction and marital harmony. In addition, the women's original family environments, state—trait anxiety levels, body images and gender role identities were assessed. Both women and husbands were found to have some problems related to sexual satisfaction in general. Although the husbands seemed to have no problems about sexual relations, it was noted that the women did not have sexual contact frequently, tended to avoid sex and were not very sensual during the sexual interaction. They had fears of pain, physical harm or death during coitus and delivery. Most of the couples evaluated their marriages as satisfctory. Trait anxiety level, wives' evaluations of their husbands as undependable, and authoritarian—oppressive attitudes of the parents were found to be the predictive variables of vaginismus.