Women who come to the Center generally have their own primary gynecologist for routine cervical screening.  That said, when we treat women with vaginal pain, painful intercourse or  vaginismus (a condition that results in extraordinary pain when anything is inserted  into the vagina) one of the first things that crosses our mind is, “how long ago did she have a Pap smear?”.  Women with vaginal pain or vaginismus often avoid pelvic exams and Pap screening because they fear the pain it may cause. 

If you or someone you know is avoiding a Pap because it’s impossible to imagine a speculum entering the vagina without intolerable pain, there is help.  There are different kinds of treatments – from creams to dilators to Botox injections under general anesthesia – that can help a woman take care of her health in every possible way.

http://www.annarbor.com/health/understanding-the-guidelines-for-maintaining-your-cervical-health/

When I am lecturing and trying to explain vaginismus , the analogy I use to describe how a patient feels is to compare it to what your reaction might be if I told you I was going to put a pen into your eye. 

If I said to you,”Listen, I am going to put this pen in your eye. Not to worry, it won’t hurt a bit and actually it will feel good,” you would look at me as though I had three heads and run for your life.

Patients with severe vaginismus feel that way. Often with anti anxiety medications, behavior medication, relaxation exercises we can work with a woman to help her get those first dilators in. Sometimes it just doesn’t work and it’s just too hard.

 This new procedure has the women under general anesthesia while a physician injects Botox (stops the muscles from going into spasm) local anesthesia(so that there is absolutely no initial pain) and put in a large dilator. The patient wakes up having the dilator in and that really is jumping the first few hurdles. There is still significant work for the patient. She has to work with dilators, get comfortable with the idea of inserting something into her vagina, internalize the idea that there is really no pain and then make the  transfer to intercourse.

It doesn’t solve the whole problem, but it can be a big help and relief for the right patient and we are so glad that we will be able to offer  it in our office as well.