304: Bridging Faith, Culture, and Access: A Multidisciplinary Arabic-Language Online Intervention for Vaginismus

Vollständiger Abstract

Worum geht es in dieser Arbeit?

Vaginismus remains one of the most prevalent yet under-recognized and under-treated sexual difficulties among women in Muslim-majority societies, where limited sexual health education, modesty norms, and shame-based scripts hinder help-seeking and treatment accessibility. This presentation introduces the development and implementation of Quareb’s Overcoming Vaginismus Program—a comprehensive Arabic-language, self-paced online course designed to guide women through evidence-based psychosexual therapy while honoring cultural and faith-based sensitivities. Grounded in the biopsychosocial model, the program adopts a multidisciplinary approach, integrating contributions from an OBGYN and a pelvic floor physiotherapist while being led by a Certified Psychosexual Therapist™. Through this collaboration, participants receive coherent, clinically sound guidance addressing the psychological, relational, anatomical, and physiological dimensions of vaginismus. The program combines psychoeducation, cognitive-behavioral strategies, mindfulness, and gradual exposure within a culturally congruent framework. Delivered through pre-recorded videos, reflection exercises, and guided worksheets, the course progresses from foundational understanding of the body and relational dynamics to individualized and partnered sensate focus exercises. Each component—from addressing hymen myths and sexual guilt to cultivating trust, body awareness, and relaxation—was linguistically and conceptually adapted for Arabic-speaking audiences to ensure clinical safety, modesty, and religious congruence. Designed for accessibility, the program’s cost is a fraction of ongoing in-person therapy, expanding care to women who would otherwise be excluded from psychosexual treatment due to financial, geographic, or cultural barriers. Early participant feedback indicates improvement in women’s understanding of and relationship to their bodies alongside reductions in sexual anxiety and vaginismus symptoms, and increased comfort during intercourse. This innovative and multidisciplinary model demonstrates how psychosexual therapy principles can be effectively translated into culturally sensitive, accessible and affordable online modalities—bridging global best practices with local values and widening access for underserved populations.