TY - JOUR
T1 - People discuss the men who can't get it up, but what about the women who can't get it in? Women's help-seeking experiences for sexual pain-penetration disorder
AU - Pithavadian, Rashmi
AU - Chalmers, Jane
AU - Ramanathan, Vijayasarathi
AU - Dune, Tinashe
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 The Authors
PY - 2024/12
Y1 - 2024/12
N2 - Purpose: While it is common to hear of men who ‘can't get it up’ due to erectile dysfunction, people rarely discuss the women who ‘can't get it in’. These women often meet the criteria for sexual pain-penetration disorder (SPPD), which makes vaginal penetration painful or difficult. Lacking awareness of SPPD and the changing terminology from vaginismus to SPPD complicates help-seeking. Yet, there is lacking research on women's help-seeking experiences for SPPD. Therefore, this study aimed to examine Australian women's subjective experiences of formal and informal help-seeking for their SPPD to gain information, diagnosis, treatment, and support. Methods: Help-seeking theory informed the study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 21 participants who sought help for their SPPD, which were inductively thematically analysed. Results: Five major themes were developed. (1) Recognition that help-seeking is necessary varied depending on participants' presentation of SPPD. (2) Initiating help-seeking included accessing first points of contact and gaining diagnosis. (3) Management of symptoms with treatment involved conventional, complementary, and alternative treatments. Women discussed using sex toys as alternatives to vaginal trainers, the correlation between negotiating pain thresholds and treatment progress, and their perceptions towards Botox and nerve blocks. (4) Traverse formal healthcare networks facilitated or hindered help-seeking. (5) Navigation of un/supportive informal networks included women's partners, family, friends, and online communities. Conclusions: The benefit of self-help kits, and complementary and alternative treatments for SPPD should be evaluated. Recommendations involve improving health professionals' approaches, including in online spaces. Women's immediate informal support networks should be engaged in healthcare management.
AB - Purpose: While it is common to hear of men who ‘can't get it up’ due to erectile dysfunction, people rarely discuss the women who ‘can't get it in’. These women often meet the criteria for sexual pain-penetration disorder (SPPD), which makes vaginal penetration painful or difficult. Lacking awareness of SPPD and the changing terminology from vaginismus to SPPD complicates help-seeking. Yet, there is lacking research on women's help-seeking experiences for SPPD. Therefore, this study aimed to examine Australian women's subjective experiences of formal and informal help-seeking for their SPPD to gain information, diagnosis, treatment, and support. Methods: Help-seeking theory informed the study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 21 participants who sought help for their SPPD, which were inductively thematically analysed. Results: Five major themes were developed. (1) Recognition that help-seeking is necessary varied depending on participants' presentation of SPPD. (2) Initiating help-seeking included accessing first points of contact and gaining diagnosis. (3) Management of symptoms with treatment involved conventional, complementary, and alternative treatments. Women discussed using sex toys as alternatives to vaginal trainers, the correlation between negotiating pain thresholds and treatment progress, and their perceptions towards Botox and nerve blocks. (4) Traverse formal healthcare networks facilitated or hindered help-seeking. (5) Navigation of un/supportive informal networks included women's partners, family, friends, and online communities. Conclusions: The benefit of self-help kits, and complementary and alternative treatments for SPPD should be evaluated. Recommendations involve improving health professionals' approaches, including in online spaces. Women's immediate informal support networks should be engaged in healthcare management.
KW - Genito-pelvic pain/penetration disorder
KW - Help-seeking
KW - Painful sex
KW - Qualitative
KW - Sexual health
KW - Sexual pain-penetration disorder
KW - Vaginismus
KW - Women's health
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85203125819&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.ssmqr.2024.100480
DO - 10.1016/j.ssmqr.2024.100480
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85203125819
SN - 2667-3215
VL - 6
JO - SSM - Qualitative Research in Health
JF - SSM - Qualitative Research in Health
M1 - 100480
ER -