Virtual Reality Exposure for Vaginismus: A Replicated Single-Case Design

Launched by UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA · Apr 3, 2025

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is exploring a new treatment for vaginismus, a condition where the muscles around the vagina tighten involuntarily, making vaginal intercourse and gynecological exams difficult or impossible. The study aims to use virtual reality technology to help participants gradually face their fear of vaginal penetration in a safe and controlled environment. By doing this, the researchers hope to reduce the fear response and improve the ability to engage in vaginal intercourse.

To participate in this trial, individuals must be female or have a vagina and have been diagnosed with vaginismus for at least six months. They should be over 19 years old, fluent in English, and able to travel to Vancouver for the study. Participants will not be eligible if they have certain medical conditions, such as unprovoked vaginal pain or certain skin conditions. If selected, participants can expect the opportunity to engage with virtual reality scenarios designed to help them overcome their fears, which could lead to significant improvements in their condition.

Gender

FEMALE

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • The investigators will recruit individuals who have a vagina. They expect that most participants will identify as cisgender, where sex is female and gender is woman, while others may have a female sex but identify as a different gender (e.g., genderdiverse). Transwomen (i.e., birth assigned males but identify as woman) who have had gender-affirming surgery (and so have a vagina) are eligible, as are transmen (i.e., birth assigned females but identify as men) who have not had bottom surgery (so have a vagina).
• • Inclusion criteria: In addition to having a vagina, participants must have a diagnosis of vaginismus that requires self-reported involuntary tightness of the vaginal musculature that causes persistent interference with vaginal penetration lasting \>6 months; aged \>19 y, of any sexual orientation. Participants must be fluent in English (psychoeducational materials and questionnaires delivered in English), have normal or corrected-to-normal vision (to view the VR scenes during exposure), and be able to travel to Vancouver.
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • Presence of: unprovoked vaginal pain; a vulvar skin condition (i.e., lichen sclerosus); an imperforate hymen; or epilepsy characterized by photosensitive seizures. Note: provoked vulvar pain is not an exclusion criterion because at least 40% of people with vaginismus report pain with attempted penetration.