Carla Maria de Abreu Pereira

Hospital Santa Casa de São Paulo, Brazil

Title: Anthropometry between the external urethral orifice and the vaginal introitus in vaginism

Abstract

Introduction: Some factors that may be associated and influence vaginismus and female sexual function are already studied, such as repressive education, religious teaching, cultural values and anatomical changes. However, no studies that analyzed the measurement between the external urethral orifice and the vaginal introitus in the search for differences between women with and without the diagnosis of vaginismus were found. 

Objective: To verify the urethro-vaginal anthropometric relation in women with and without vaginismus. 

Method: Cross-sectional study, approved by the Ethics Committee and registered in the Clinical Trials, conducted from February to August / 2017. We evaluated 60 women, aged from 18 to 40 years old, nulliparous, heterosexual, sexually active. They were divided into two groups: Group I: women with vaginismus and Group II: women without vaginismus. Group I included those with vaginismus, without treatment for sexual dysfunction. We excluded women with mental disorders, with partners with dysfunction that prevents penetration, with presence of vaginal prolapse or need for surgical intervention for vaginismus. In group II, women without vaginismus were included. With an inelastic tape measure the distance between the external urethral orifice and the inferior border of the vaginal introitus was checked in both groups. The data were analyzed by SPSS software and the Mann-Whitney test was performed. The level of significance was 5%. 

Results: 60 women participated in the study, 30 with vaginismus (Group I) and 30 without vaginismus (Group II). In Group I: the mean distance between the urethral orifice and the inferior border of the vaginal introitus was 0.69cm. In Group II the mean was 1.46cm, with p <0.001 in the comparison for the difference between the groups. 

Conclusion: A significant difference was observed in the distance between the external urethral orifice and the inferior border of the vaginal introitus in women with and without vaginismus. This anatomical finding may be involved with the evolution of vaginismus.

Biography

Carla Maria de Abreu Pereira is a Physiotherapist - Hospital Santa Casa de São Paulo, PhD. Professor of the Physiotherapy course in Women's and Man's Health at Faculdade de Ciências Médicas da Santa Casa de São Paulo (Santa Casa of São Paulo Medical Science College); Physiotherapist Clinical Mantelli - São Paulo – Brazil