ArticleBMC women's health2024
Patients' recommendations to improve help-seeking for vaginismus: a qualitative study.
Article in BMC women's health, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
5 citing papers in PubMed, 6 citations in OpenAlex.
- Cue-specific sexual avoidance, metacognitive beliefs, and sexual functioning in women with lifelong vaginismus: a cross-sectional case-control study.BMC women's health · 2026Article
- Health Professionals' Approaches to Support Patient Diversity in the Assessment of Vaginismus: A Critical Feminist Qualitative Study for Inclusive Care.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- The overlooked burden: Vaginismus and its greater prevalence in eastern women.Dialogues in health · 2025Article
- Male Responses to Female Partners with Genitopelvic Pain/Penetration Disorder: A Systematic Review of Biopsychological Impacts and Coping Strategies.International journal of sexual health : official journal of the World Association for Sexual Health · 2025Article
- The interrelationship between women's help-seeking experiences for vaginismus and their sense of self: a qualitative study and abductive analysis.Health psychology and behavioral medicine · 2024Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
3 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundResearch to improve healthcare experiences for women with vaginismus tends to be produced from the perspective of healthcare professionals or health-based researchers. There is lacking research on women's experiences and recommendations to improve help-seeking for vaginismus from their perspective. To address this research gap, this qualitative study aimed to identify the issues that women face when help-seeking for vaginismus and their recommendations to address it. This sought to support the wellbeing of patients to advocate for their healthcare needs which is often overlooked.
methodsUsing a feminist theoretical approach, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 21 participants who sought help for their vaginismus. Thematic analysis was employed to analyse participants' recommendations.
resultsFour main themes emerged: Increase awareness of vaginismus, Dismantle myths about sex, Destigmatise vaginismus, and Empower people with vaginismus during medical consultations. Subthemes were identified as actionable strategies that participants recommended to improve help-seeking and healthcare for vaginismus.
conclusionsThe findings from this study can inform healthcare practice and policy to foster better synchronicity between health professionals and their patients' perceptions and expectations of treating vaginismus. This can promote more acceptance of patients' advocacy of their needs and goals to improve the therapeutic alliance and treatment outcomes for vaginismus in healthcare practice. The strategies recommended to increase awareness of vaginismus and challenge its stigma should be considered in policy to incite a culture of change in healthcare practice and broader society.
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What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.