Vaginismus, sometimes anglicized
vaginism, is the German name for a condition which affects a woman's ability to engage in any form of
vaginal penetration, including
sexual intercourse, insertion of tampons, and the penetration involved in gynecological examinations. This is the result of a conditioned reflex of the
pubococcygeus muscle, which is sometimes referred to as the "PC muscle". The reflex causes the muscles in the vagina to tense suddenly, which makes any kind of vaginal penetration—including
sexual intercourse—painful or impossible.
