'I Feel Like I'm Hitting A Wall or There's A Narrow Tunnel': A Qualitative Study Based on Online Forum Posts by Women With Vaginismus.

BACKGROUND

Women may find it difficult to seek face-to-face support, as topics related to sexuality are often considered taboo. The online environment makes it easier to interact with others and share stories while using an anonymous username.

AIM: This study aimed to explore the lived experiences of women with vaginismus by analysing online forum posts. By examining unfiltered personal narratives, we sought to gain insights into their challenges, coping mechanisms, and the factors influencing their help-seeking behaviours without the constraints of predefined research questions.

METHODS

Qualitative content analysis was used to explore the lived experiences of women with vaginismus. For this study, we used a simple search phrase, such as 'vaginismus forum', on Google, the most widely used online search engine. In this context, we chose an online forum with different topics to collect data to explore different perspectives of vaginismus patients. Posts from this topic were collected between November 2020 and November 2023. A total of 17,900 posts from the relevant dates were reviewed for analysis. The data was coded and analysed using qualitative content analysis.

RESULTS

Three main themes and 12 subthemes were identified: (1) Facing the reality of vaginismus, (2) Obstacles for women with vaginismus to get help, (3) Facilitators to fight vaginismus.

CONCLUSIONS

This study provides qualitative evidence on the experiences of women with vaginismus, shedding light on the challenges they face. The findings highlight that while stigma, emotional distress, and unsupportive environments create barriers, supportive partners, professional guidance, and online communities play a crucial role in their recovery process. These insights emphasise the need to improve awareness and support mechanisms within healthcare and society.