Comparing Positive and Negative Emotional Experiences between Women with and without Vaginismus

Sexual disorders are among the problems that negatively affect people’s well-being and mental health. The most common sexual disorders for women are loss of libido, dyspareunia (painful intercourse) and vaginismus (spasm in the pelvic floor muscles). The present study was conducted to compare the positive and negative emotional experiences between women with and without vaginismus. In this causal-comparative study, 100 women with vaginismus were selected via random sampling method from among women referring to women’s health centers. Then, two equal-sized groups of women with and without vaginismus (100 women in each group) were formed and examined via the Positive and Negative Affect Scale (PANAS). The ANCOVA results indicated that both groups of women were experiencing similar levels of positive emotions; but, women with vaginismus were experiencing more negative emotions.