At Maze, we generally recommend dilating for 10 minutes per day. We find that 10 minutes is a good amount of time, because it is long enough for the muscles to begin to lengthen and stretch around the dilator but is short enough to be physically tolerable. Usually even the busiest of us can carve …
Continue ReadingWhy does tensing my body during sex cause pain?
When many people think of sex and intercourse, the assumption is that it should be easy. For some women (especially those with vaginismus), nothing could be further from the truth. Anatomy matters. To briefly review, the pelvic floor in a woman is made up of a web of connective tissue and muscles. These provide support …
Continue ReadingSex in the Media: Vaginismus Focus: “Unorthodox” (Netflix)
Welcome to “Sex in the Media: Explore or Ignore,” our new column in which we investigate steamy snippets from tv, film, literature, podcasts, and even social media. Every other week, we’ll check out a new adventure and tell you whether to buy in or forget you ever heard about it! We have finally reached an …
Continue ReadingPainful Sex? It might be Vaginismus
A few months ago, I spent a considerable amount of time this past holiday season with my family. After a couple of glasses of wine, several of my aunts (who are all in their mid 60’s) began asking me questions about painful sex. One of my aunts relayed her recent experience to me, of being …
Continue ReadingLong-Distance Dilation Program
It should come as no surprise to anyone by now, that COVID-19 had turned life as we know it upside down. The myriad disruptions to our daily lives have posed unique challenges to individuals, nations, families and businesses alike. We here at Maze Women’s Health feel it too. We miss seeing our patients in the …
Continue ReadingCan you be sedated for a Pap smear?
Let’s be honest. No one enjoys getting a Pap smear. Or a pelvic exam. They can be uncomfortable at best, and at worst resemble a form of torture. Many women experience intense pelvic pain with any kind of penetration, and for this group of gals – just the thought of a speculum can ignite a …
Continue ReadingTo the Partners of Vaginismus Patients
Your partner just found out that she has vaginismus. She is either relieved, devastated, or a combination of the two, depending on how much time she has spent avoiding the issue, jumping between health care providers, and trying to understand the condition. Now you are trying to understand what vaginismus is, figure out what your …
Continue ReadingNot Tonight Dear, I’ve Got A Headache
When there’s pain with sex, anything that whispers sex can make us women cringe. It can negatively impact our openness to being touched, inhibit our desire and arousal, and erode our ability to experience sexual pleasure. Some conditions leading to painful sex include: vaginismus, vulvodynia, infection, stiff joints, scar tissue from a procedure after giving …
Continue ReadingMy Vaginismus Journey: a story that needed to be told
[mighty_toggle title=”My Journey Begins: Realizing I’m Not Alone” state=”open”] My path to a diagnosis of vaginismus was like what many others with the condition experience – crooked and confusing with a few wrong turns along the way. It began when I first attempted to have penetrative sex. I knew the first time was supposed to …
Continue ReadingMaze is proud to support former vaginismus patient and filmmaker
There is perhaps no greater demonstration of irony than the experience of Savannah Magruder’s protagonist in her new film “Debbie Does Dilators”, which will be featured at the Brooklyn Film Festival next month. After Sara graduates from film school, she answers a Craigslist ad seeking a production assistant. Suddenly, she finds herself on a …
Continue Reading