Couple Therapy Ease Painful Intercourse

Provoked vestibulodynia is condition in women with increased sensitivity to pain at the opening of the vagina (vestibule) to gentle touch or stimulation making intercourse painful. Women may apply anesthetic creams to reduce the pain but that won’t work for long time since it is a chronic pain syndrome. Though various morphological causes for this condition like repeated infections in vulvar area (cystitis, vaginal infections), Abnormalities in the pelvic floor muscle exist, the psychological aspect of the condition needs to be intervened as higher the anxiety more pain is felt is proven.

Recently a study by Canadian Institutes of Health Research among 108 couples published in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology validates one such psychological treatment called cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for couples.

"Psychological intervention is recommended because once pain sets in, it has such a negative impact on sexuality and on the relationship that it becomes very important to break the vicious cycle of fear and avoidance," says Sophie Bergeron, professor in the Psychology Department in the Faculty of Arts and Science at Université de Montréal.

This Couple therapy by psychologists and sexologists involving the partner creates a psychological distance between the women and her thoughts to relive their pain experience, motivate their sexuality and also works on the couple's emotional regulation.

So, the therapy improves the intercourse experience by refocusing on pleasurable experiences rather than allowing the pain to take control and also effective for other types of genito-pelvic pain as well.



Source-Eurekalert