Media Watch: Vaginismus on Private Practice

Vaginismus doesn't often make an appearance in mainstream media, but when it does I want to capture it, put my two cents in and see what everyone else thinks. If you find any clips you think I should be blogging about, you can submit them through my shiny new Contact Form.  

Back to Private Practice, it's tempting to slate this mediocre foray into VaginaLand. From the ridiculously good looking doctors (who carry out a pelvic exam with the words 'knocking at the door, stopping in for a little visit'), to the seemingly quick and easy 'cure' for both vaginismus and vulvar vestibulitis, it all seems a bit farcical. I suppose that's the prerogative of television to portray a quixotic viewpoint of medical conditions and we all know American tv series (God love 'em) are often guilty of this. Still, there are some things I think are spot on and deserve recognition:

1. The patient's relationship worries- she is convinced that if left untreated, her uncooperative vagina will wreck her marriage and therefore is anxious to find a quick fix (a very relatable scenario indeed). 
2. Worrying that her vagina is physically broken- this is a common myth for women who have never researched this topic. 
3. A clueless doctor- possibly the most realistic thread in the entire episode. 
4. The patient's desire for sex- she doesn't just want to get better to please her husband, she also wants to get better for her own personal enjoyment of sex.
5. A happy ending (no pun intended)- good to see because there are many of those around as well! 

All in all, Private Practice provided much-needed exposure and probably got many women thinking 'oh God, that's exactly what happened on my wedding night'. This is, however, the tip of the iceberg in a much wider conversation, so we'll see how it's tackled next time...