Why is my Vagina So Tight?

I can do something about this?

If you’ve been wondering why your vagina feels too tight, and if this is normal or not, the chances are that there is probably something wrong. Whether it is normal is another question entirely – in a way, it is normal, as the problem is a lot more common than may be obvious. However, it is still a problem; if your vagina is too tight and this is causing you pain during examinations, inserting tampons or sexual intercourse, you may be suffering from vaginismus.

Vaginismus is a genito–pelvic pain and penetration disorder that affects many women around the world. If you are experiencing involuntary contraction of your vaginal muscles at the thought of any form of penetration, the chances are that vaginismus is the problem.

Contraction of your vaginal muscles creates tension, which is why you’re feeling that your vagina is too tight for penetration of any kind. When penetration is attempted anyway, you’re likely to experience pain to varying degrees, which understandably makes penetration challenging, if not impossible.

If your vagina is too tight, you’re not alone

Although it may seem like vaginismus is an unusual problem, rest assured that it really isn’t. It’s just that plenty of women don’t feel comfortable talking about it, so they choose to suffer in silence. Unfortunately a solution is rarely found without some kind of assistance, so if your vagina is too tight, it is likely that you’ll need to seek treatment of some kind. We’ll get to those options below.

It may help to know that medical industry statistics indicate that around one in two women are suffering from vaginismus – now that is a lot! Although it is difficult to be sure of just how many women are dealing with the condition – since many instances go unreported and records are not always accurate anyway – the statistics are based on instances that are reported, and that number is quite clearly high enough.

The causes of vaginismus are relatively diverse, but generally speaking, if your vagina is too tight, it is probably caused by traumatic sexual or medical experiences, or fears around intimacy and partnership dynamics. 

What to do if you think you have vaginismus

The first step is overcoming any reservations about seeking help. Now that you know you are far from alone with this problem, it stands to reason that there are many types of sexual health practitioner accustomed to dealing with the problem. Once you have received a diagnosis from your healthcare provider, you might want to consider one or more of the below options for vaginismus treatment:

Pelvic floor physical therapy

Pelvic floor physical therapy has many benefits and is a popular method of treating vaginismus. If your vagina is too tight, your pelvic floor physical therapist will work with you to loosen up the muscles via various methods. These usually include pelvic floor stretches (which you can also do at home), trigger point therapy and use of vaginal dilators. Vuvatech is here to help if you’re not sure where to find a good pelvic floor physical therapist. We’ve also written an article to prepare you for your first visit to a pelvic floor physical therapist, so you’ll know exactly what to expect. 

Psychological treatment for vaginismus

When your vagina is too tight, you might be tempted to consider it a physical issue only. However, sometimes we are more adept at shutting out psychologically challenging experiences than we realize.

There may be some underlying trauma that isn’t present in your conscious memory; whether you recall it or not, treating vaginismus psychologically can boost your recovery time dramatically. There are many sex therapists out there with great compassion and a wealth of useful experience.

Using vaginal dilators at home 

Finally (and going by our customer testimonials), you can find relief from vaginismus by using vaginal dilators at home, in your own time and at your own pace. Your pelvic floor physical therapist is likely to recommend this, so you may want to wait until you’ve experienced dilator use with them – otherwise, we have a guide to using dilators and you can start practicing now.

Vaginismus doesn’t have to be a permanent problem. With patience and perseverance, you will eventually find that your vagina is no longer too tight for examinations, tampons and sexual intercourse. Don’t forget to check out the Vuvatech blog for vaginismus advice and if you need to message us, please do… we’re happy to help!