Full length wide view of a mid adult woman sitting in a doctors examination room waiting to be seen, she is holding her arm and looking up, feeling worried. She is wearing casual clothing at the hospital in Newcastle, England.
Share this @internewscast.com

For 30 years, doctors have been telling Lily* that the excruciating pain she experiences during sex is all in her head.

It’s actually vaginismus, a prevalent vulvovaginal disorder that results in involuntary vaginal muscle spasms. However, after enduring decades of unsatisfactory experiences with healthcare providers, she has abandoned the pursuit of treatment.

Lily is not alone; recent research from the US has shown that one in two women seeking care for vulvovaginal disorders (including vaginismus) think about giving up due to negative encounters with healthcare professionals.

Full length wide view of a mid adult woman sitting in a doctors examination room waiting to be seen, she is holding her arm and looking up, feeling worried. She is wearing casual clothing at the hospital in Newcastle, England.
For 30 years, doctors have been telling Lily* that her pain is in her head.(Instagram/@drpav.migs)

Dr. Pav Nanayakka, the lead gynaecologist at Jean Hailes for Women’s Health, has heard numerous accounts of women feeling dismissed, shamed, and invalidated when seeking care for vulvovaginal disorders.

She told 9news that it often leads to a loss of trust in the healthcare profession and patients avoiding care altogether.

“There are definitely educational gaps in medical training,” she said.

“Many providers have very little formal education about evolving vaginal disorders, especially the chronic or less common ones.”

A 2021 study of 21 people who sought help for vaginismus in Australia uncovered that negative experiences when seeking help weakened their sense of self and increased their likelihood of giving up on getting help.

Conversely, positive experiences made women more likely to continue seeking help and treatment even when faced with setbacks.

More broadly, two in three women reported they experienced health care related gender bias or discrimination, according to the 2024 #EndGenderBias Report.

Experiences of gender bias or discrimination were most common in relation to sexual or reproductive health care.

Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) data from 2024 also showed that women in Australia are significantly less likely to report positive experiences with hospital ED doctors, specialists, and nurses than men.
NH

Where Australia ranks in countries with the greatest health freedoms

Nanayakka encouraged patients who have had poor experiences to seek medical professionals with a special interest in women’s health rather than giving up on treatment entirely.

“There can be some really, really important conditions that can be misdiagnosed and they can be potentially dangerous if they are missed,” she said.

But affording specialist appointments, especially when you’ve already paid to seek care before, can be difficult in a cost of living crisis.

Lily has forked out thousands on medical appointments over the years and can’t afford to keep up with the costs of seeking specialist care for her vaginismus.

“I would say at the moment, I feel like I’ve given up hope,” she said.

“I just wonder if it was a man who had extreme physical pain every time they had sex, would they be so easily dismissed?”

*Name changed for privacy.

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like
A photo of crowds at the Netley Marsh Steam and Craft Show in Southampton, England.

Woman Seriously Injured in Unfortunate Accident at UK Fair

An 18-year-old girl has been left with “life-changing” head injuries after a…

What Are the Key Factors Behind Western Australia’s Rental Crisis?

Elizabeth Wright parks her ute beneath the shade of a tree at…
Blair Kinghorn and Finn Russell celebrate at full time after the win in Melbourne

Finn Russell Calls on Lions to Dominate and Aim for Clean Sweep Against Australia

FINN RUSSELL is encouraging the British and Irish Lions to conclude their…
'Biggest deal ever': Trump announces trade agreement with EU

Trump Declares Landmark Trade Agreement with EU

US President Donald Trump has announced that the US and the European…
They're at the heart of health care and part of an $8 billion election pledge but the most comprehensive report card on whether your family will see a GP for free has been revealed.

Report Forecasts Increase in Nationwide Bulk Billing GP Clinics

Integral to health care and a key aspect of an $8 billion…
Palestine Action Group Sydney march from Hyde Park North (near the Archibald Fountain) to Belmore Park.  29th October 2023 Photo: Steven Siewert

Pro-Palestine Rally on Sydney Harbour Bridge Cancelled

A plan to shut down the Sydney Harbour Bridge for a weekend…
A 70-year-old man faces up to 15 years in prison after being charged with possessing child abuse material.

70-Year-Old Man Could Receive 15-Year Sentence for Alleged Child Pornography Images Found on Phone

A 70-year-old man faces up to 15 years in prison after being…
Federal government launches eeger

Government Allocates $10 Million to Jobseeker Platform Supporting Struggling Industries

The federal government has invested $10 million in a jobseeker platform aimed…
FILE - This photo provided by the North Korean government, Kim Yo Jong, sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, delivers a speech during a national meeting against the coronavirus, in Pyongyang, North Korea, on Aug. 10, 2022. Independent journalists were not given access to cover the event depicted in this image distributed by the North Korean government. The content of this image is as provided and cannot be independently verified. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP, File)

Kim Jong Un’s Influential Sister States North Korea Has ‘No Desire’ for Dialogue with South Korea

The influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un rebuffed an…

Tour de France: Pogačar Secures Fourth Victory as Van Aert Triumphs in Intense Final Stage

Tadej Pogačar completed an exceptional 21-day performance to secure the Tour de…
Israel begins daily pause in Gaza fighting to allow 'minimal' aid

Israel Initiates Daily Ceasefire in Gaza for Essential Aid Distribution

The Israeli military on Sunday began a limited pause in fighting in…

To numerous Muslim women in Australia, encountering Islamophobia seems unavoidable

Dr Nora Amath, Executive Director of the Islamophobia Register, observed a “dramatic…