When Having Sex Feels Impossible: Living with Vaginismus

Jess is an audience caller who wrote in to share her story, and it’s one of the most powerful we’ve featured. She waited until marriage to have sex with her husband, and then discovered it was excruciatingly painful and physically impossible. After eight years of misdiagnoses, shame, and failed treatments, she finally healed herself from vaginismus — a condition that is often misunderstood or ignored. In this raw and compassionate conversation, we unpack what vaginismus really is, how purity culture and religious beliefs shaped Jess’s experience, and what it takes to reclaim intimacy — not just physically, but emotionally and spiritually. Jess is now a pelvic floor therapist helping other women do the same and her expertise brings hope and healing to those who have felt alone in their pain. Follow Jess: https://www.instagram.com/painfree.intimacy/ Sponsors: Bau, Artist at War: Visit BAUmovie.com to watch the trailer and learn more or sign up your organization for a group screening. Vivrelle: Go to www.vivrelle.com and apply for a membership today using code REALSTUFF for 50% off 1 month of membership. The code will also allow you to skip the Vivrelle waitlist.  Watch this episode in video form on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjmevEcbh5h5FEX0pazPEtN86t7eb2OgX  To apply to be a guest on the show, visit luciefink.com/apply and send us your story.  I also want to extend a special thank you to East Love for the show's theme song, Rolling Stone.  Follow the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therealstuffpod  Find Lucie here:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luciebfink/  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@luciebfink  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/luciebfink Website: https://luciefink.com/  Executive Producer: Cloud10 Produced by Dear Media. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices