i was diagnosed with vagnismus in late october of 2022, after telling my doctor that i was in excruciating pain every time i felt penetration. i was already due for a pap smear anyway , so she just tacked that on to the appointment.
when she did the pap smear, i exclaimed it was the same amount of pain i felt during intimacy. she noted this, then did one final (but quick) exam. she then diagnosed me.
she also asked me if I went through any sort of traumatic sexual event, and i said yes, which is sometimes a stem of vaginismus.
its been difficult to cope with this diagnosis personally: my family doesnt support it and thinks ive made it up just for attention. they dont like talking about the event i went through either.
im thankful to have a supportive group of friends and a patient partner, thats for sure.
hopefully this sideblog is a good way to connect/vent with other people who have vaginismus.