For most people, sex is pleasurable. Yet, for some, it can be extremely painful. Read this story of a woman who can’t stand having sex and how she overcame that difficult time in her life.

What can you read in this article?

Virgin before marriage, and even a year after? What could be the reason?
Why she can’t stand having sex and how she was able to overcome it

I have been married for almost 3 years now. We got married in December 2018.

My story could be something that is unheard of; it is unique and probably new to some. I got married as a virgin, and I never had any sexual contact with anyone.

When my husband and I got engaged, we talked about how we wanted things to be – what our plans were. Part of it is to have our first child a year after our wedding. One of the reasons is because we want to enjoy our first year together – since everything is the first time for me.

Staying with my husband was an entirely new experience for me. When we were in a relationship, our interaction was limited to pleasantries, and it was always “Hi,” “Hello,” “See you next week,” or after 2 weeks due to the distance.

Full Disclosure Before Marriage

Before we got married, we discussed many things that we thought would be better for us to know each other before spending our lives together.

After all, it’s easier to break up an engagement than to break up a marriage. When you get married, you are to stay together forever – there’s no turning back!

My husband is a foreigner so, he asked me, “If the time comes for me to leave the Philippines, will you follow me to my home country?” I told him that if we are to be married, I will be like Ruth in the Bible (where my name is from) who said, “Where you go, I go, and where you stay, I stay.”

I believe that marriage is sacred and holy, and no one should break that union apart. None of us would want to end up in divorce if things get tough, so we discussed every single thing that could possibly ruin our marriage apart. We talked about the possibility of not being able to have a child.

But we both believe in the verse Mark 10:9, which says, “What God has joined together, let no man put asunder.” We were convinced with each other’s answers and we felt confident and secure with one another so we decided to take our relationship to the next level.

Our plans

Because we planned to wait for a year to have a child, my husband and I were satisfied with seeing each other at home, giving each other hugs and kisses. We became close like we were siblings staying in one room, but we know we are more than that.

Despite not having any sexual relations, our connection was still undeniable. Coming home from work is always exciting, and saying our goodbyes every morning is tough.

We love and respect each other so much. After being married for 8 months, we decided to start a family of our own.

We didn’t anticipate that it wouldn’t be that simple.

The Unexpected Setback

I can’t stand having sex. | Image from Shutterstock

Because whenever we try to have sex, it seems like there’s no place for my husband to penetrate. The pain is just too intolerable that it’s as if he is hitting walls.

In February 2019, we decided to see an OB-Gynaecologist and told her about my situation. She suggested longer foreplay, which we did, but it still didn’t work.

Sometimes, the foreplay has gone for hours, and I even lose myself in the process. But when he tries to get in, the pain will be too severe, making me shout and almost cry in agony.

We tried all possible methods for us to have sex, but each time we try, I bleed a little, and the pain is just too much to bear. I just can’t stand having sex for some reason. We went to different doctors, but they just said we needed more foreplay.

My sister-in-law thought we were having some challenges conceiving, and she told me she was praying for us. We chose to keep the problem to ourselves and entrust God for what He alone can do.

At the same time, I admit I don’t feel comfortable talking about it because this seems unheard of. I never heard another couple meeting an OB-GYN just so they can have sex. It’s weird.

Can’t Stand Having Sex: “Just Bear the Pain”

Image from Shutterstock

The few people I confided in told me, “Just bear the pain.” I tried, but it’s really intolerable. My friends couldn’t believe my situation; some gave themselves to their boyfriends but their relationships ended.

Meanwhile, I have every right to enjoy it to the fullest, yet I am unable to. Honestly, I really want to enjoy it, but I am inadequate to contain the pain of that enjoyment.

Before 2019 ended, I gained all the courage and strength to talk about it. I decided to open up to my cousin, who was married the same year I did, and she told me that I was missing out on a lot.

She taught me some techniques and even jokingly told me, “As a wife, you should behave like a prostitute at night to keep your husband busy,” which did not sit well with me. Other relatives told me that it was all in my head.

But it’s not. We have been to a psychologist, but they recommended the same thing. At one point, I felt like we were wasting resources.

I even told myself that if nothing really worked, I should give up. If he leaves me because of this, I will end up crying, and that’s probably the end of it.

It’s been almost a year, but we still haven’t had sex. It’s been bothering me a lot, but my husband was just cool about it. My family told me what I am doing is a ground for annulment.

They thought I was just making it up, but I’m not. I can’t stand having sex because the pain is intolerable to me. Whenever we try, I feel like I am being ripped open and cut into half forcefully.

I even searched online to see if there are people who have the same challenge like me, who can’t stand having sex, but I cannot find any. I saw a YouTube video about people around the world who were going through the same thing.

They talked about the remedies they did to be successful in having sexual intercourse, but there was a clincher – before you can find the answer, you need to pay to enrol in the course. I wasn’t even sure if it would work or not, so I decided to ignore it.

There are times when it feels like all hope is lost, but I still want to keep on searching, so I know that I tried and did my best.

Why Some Women Can’t Stand Having Sex

One time, I stumbled on a post on YouTube about a couple in the same situation. They have been to different doctors, yet no one can help them. Until they met with one therapist who suggested using a dilator.

cant stand having sex

They also talked about a condition called vaginismus where women clench their pelvic floor muscles during penetration, making sexual intercourse impossible due to severe pain. It is said that it is unknown to women that they are doing it; it just happens, which is similar to my case.

There is a physical therapist who specialises in women’s health and can help treat “vaginismus and dyspareunia” which means painful intercourse, which normally goes hand in hand.

According to Web MD, vaginismus is a condition when the muscles of a woman’s vagina squeeze or spasm involuntarily when something is entering it, like a tampon or a penis. It can range from mildly uncomfortable to quite painful.

The first kind of vaginismus is called primary vaginismus. It is described as when a woman has had pain every time something is inserted or enters their vagina, including a penis (penetrative sex). It’s also called lifelong vaginismus.

The most common symptom for this condition is painful sex or dyspareunia, which some women describe as a burning feeling or like the penis is “hitting a wall.” Other signs of vaginismus include fear of pain or sex and loss of sexual desire.

Doctors are unsure of exactly why vaginismus happens. It’s usually linked to anxiety or fear of having sex. But it’s not always clear which came first, the vaginismus or the anxiety.

Finding a Breakthrough

I’m so grateful to have stumbled on that couple who boldly shared their story. If not for them, I wouldn’t even figure out what is happening.

My OB said I refused to relax, and that is the reason for the difficulty, but it is not because of that; the pain is just too intolerable. None of the doctors I went to was able to tell me that there was something called vaginismus.

When I am alone, I feel so bad, as if it is my fault and not knowing what I’m doing wrong. At times I question myself, why did I even get married?

So I told my husband about what I read online, and he ordered the dilator from the US. I tried to use it as instructed, hoping it would give us a breakthrough, but it took time.

cant stand having sex

I started using the smallest size every night for 30 minutes on my private part to widen a little bit until we reached the desired size. It took a lot of patience and endurance on my part.

Finally, around February of 2020, we were able to break through and make love for the first time.

Image from Shutterstock

For those who are not aware of this condition, it happens. If men are reading this if you think that your wife is just denying or depriving you of sexual pleasure, here’s your wake-up call.

This is experienced by a few women and some of them were left by their husbands because their husbands thought that their wives were just trying to deny them sexual pleasure.

Sex is an issue that needs to be dealt with well in marriage and maturity. Sex makes the union strong, but it shouldn’t be the foundation of your relationship, and above all else, God should be the foundation of your relationship.

Please do not judge those in the same shoe as I am. I came to the open because this topic is not always talked about, and I thought I was the only one who had this problem.

I’ve been there and have conquered that challenge, and now I’m a mother. To anyone in the same shoes as I am, be strong. I know how painful and awkward it feels. Trust me, I’ve been there. Feeling alone and out of this world. Trying hard to do everything, yet nothing is working. Stay strong, mummies!

To the husband of these wonderful wives out there, do not leave them on this journey. They are not trying to deprive you of anything. There are just some things that are way beyond our control, and this is one of which we need your love, support, and understanding. Please give it to us!

This article was first published on the theAsianparent Philippines and was edited and republished with permission.

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