title: Disgust and contamination sensitivity in vaginismus and dyspareunia.
abstract: This study examined the potential role of disgust propensity and contamination sensitivity in vaginismus. Women suffering from vaginismus (n = 20) or dyspareunia (n = 22), and a group of women without sexual complaints (n = 30) completed self report measures indexing their (1) general dispositional disgust propensity, and (2) sensitivity for (ideational) contamination by sexual stimuli as a function of its source (self, partner, unknown). In support of the idea that disgust may be involved in vaginismus, women with vaginistic complaints displayed a generally enhanced dispositional disgust propensity. The sensitivity for contamination by sexual stimuli did not vary across groups. However, especially when the source was the participant's partner, the willingness ratings might have been influenced by demand and may, therefore, not accurately reflect participant's actual sensitivity for contamination by sexual stimuli. Future studies using more implicit or behavioral measures are necessary to more definitely test the role of disgust in vaginismus.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Developmental Psychology, University of Groningen, Grote Kruisstraat 2/1, Groningen, 9712 TS, The Netherlands. p.j.de.jong@rug.nl
authors.forename: Peter J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: de Jong
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: van Overveld
authors.forename: Willibrord Weijmar
authors.initials: WW
authors.lastname: Schultz
authors.forename: Madelon L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Peters
authors.forename: Femke M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Buwalda
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D004414:Dyspareunia / Q000523:psychology*; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D052065:Vaginismus / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult