Article: Many women with vaginismus can trace their symptoms to feelings of anxiety, fear, and stress. These can be more deeply rooted, or simply related to current factors of life, like lack of sleep and excessive work-related stress. Women with vaginismus are more likely than others to have deeply ingrained negativity about sex and sexuality. These feelings may date back to childhood, or they may be related to a particularly traumatic event. When negative underlying beliefs about sex start at a young age, another potential component of vaginismus comes into play--lack of proper sexual education. It is estimated that women with vaginismus are twice as likely to have a history of childhood sexual interference as non-sufferers. Events thought to contribute range from mild to severe traumas, and include the following: sexual abuse by someone familiar sexual assault pelvic trauma domestic violence highly negative early sexual experiences with a consensual partner If you have secondary and situational vaginismus, it may be rooted in issues with a sexual or romantic partner. These issues might include a lack of trust, a fear of commitment, or a concern about becoming too vulnerable or opening yourself up to pain and disappointment. A variety of conditions may provoke or heighten the symptoms of vaginismus. This is particularly likely if your vaginismus appeared after a period of normal sexual functioning. Potential medical conditions that can contribute to vaginismus include: urinary tract infections and other urinary problems sexually transmitted infections cancer of the sexual or reproductive organs endometriosis pelvic inflammatory disease vulvodynia or vestibulodynia Medical procedures involving female reproductive organs, like hysterectomies, can also cause vaginismus. For many women, the onset of secondary vaginismus is related to childbirth. This is more likely if it was very difficult or resulted in injuries to the sexual organs. Other women have vaginismus from the hormonal changes and dryness that usually occurs during menopause. Secondary vaginismus can also result from a fear of having children or going through childbirth. Some women never find out why they have vaginismus. They have no physical causes and no known non-physical causes. Some research even suggests that symptoms of vaginismus are part of general defense mechanisms that are triggered in threatening situations. This suggests that it need not always be viewed as a primarily sexual dysfunction.

What is a summary?
Consider the role of anxiety. Recognize underlying beliefs about sex and sexuality. Understand the role of past experiences. Know that relationship difficulties may contribute. Be aware that medical conditions and medications may play a role. Acknowledge the potential role of reproductive milestones. Accept a possible lack of apparent cause(s).