Vaginismus: Frequency, Definitions, Diagnostic Criteria, Formation

The article deals with the frequency of vaginismus, its definitions and criteria, which are presented in encyclopaedical sources, the International Classification of Diseases, 10th and 11th Revisions (ICD-10 and ICD-11), the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (USA) (DSM-V), as well as in publications made by some authors. It is reported that while ICD-10 presents psychogenic and biogenic variants of vaginismus separately, in ICD-11 the differentiation of sexual disorders into psychogenic and organic ones is cancelled. ICD-11 considers the brain and body as a unity, sexual dysfunctions being caused by an interaction of physical and psychological factors. In this way, a difference between the organic and inorganic is eliminated, organic and inorganic disorders being united. In ICD-11 vaginismus is reclassified into sexual pain-penetration disorder without dividing it into organic and inorganic forms and has its united code, HA20. The diagnosis “dyspareunia” in ICD-11 is preserved, but it is not divided into inorganic and organic variants. DSM-V uses the term “genito-pelvic pain/penetration disorder”. In this case it means a combined diagnosis, which unites vaginismus and dyspareunia. The decision about expediency of using such a generalized diagnosis in this classification is taken on the ground of the fact that both above sexual dysfunctions are highly comorbid and hardly differentiated from each other. Also the article lists the muscles, involved in the process of contraction in vaginismus, and discusses the possibility of existence of the phenomenon of capture of penis (penis captivus) in people. Besides, sociogenic, psychogenic and somatic factors, which can participate in the formation of the characterized pathology, are listed in detail.