Learning about Vaginismus and pelvic floor disfunction w/ special guest Shelby Hadden

On this episode of the Period Chats Podcast, documentary film maker Shelby Hadden joins us to talk about her wildly wonderful, impactful documentary: Tightly Wound.

Based on an essay she published in Bust Magazine, the animated short film chronicles her experiences with vaginismus and pelvic floor pain.

After a kickstarter shout-out in Cosmo, an article in Media Wire and much more, the film has 4 million views and has been all over the world.

Shelby and I talk about how sharing your story publicly can be so many different things. It can be freeing and liberating to share, super helpful to others to hear, and a powerful influence on culture - but it can simultaneously be intimidating and unpredictable to post your life’s details on the internet.

She explains that creating the film was a coming out type of experience for her, because there were many family members and friends who still didn’t know about her health journey.

Shelby shares how she couldn’t use a tampon as an adolescent, but didn’t find pelvic floor physical therapy (the treatment that has helped her the most) until age 21.

She then found herself at the forefront of a decade-long rise in awareness on the topic, in a culture that’s moving from young women like her taking 7 years plus to get an accurate diagnosis, to an internet-connected world where pelvic floor physical therapists are posting on Tik Tok and Instagram helping people learn the basics about the disorder.

Shelby tells us what the process looked like to create the film, and what her network, team and community looked like during the process.

It’s so beautiful that people with vaginismus and other pelvic floor issues can now point to this well-made film and say to their family, friends, or potential romantic partners, “This is what I have.”

Insurance doesn’t always cover pelvic floor therapy, and there are different rules in different states about referrals and the number of sessions that may get approved, but Shelby leaves us with this wise advice: don’t give up finding the great treatment that you deserve.

We talk about other treatments such as Botox, which some people have had results with for vaginismus, and of course a good therapist should be part of your team as well.

I’m thankful for this conversation and for a chance to disarm the shame and secrecy some people feel in their experiences. Whatever your hopes are with regards to pelvic floor dysfunction of any kind, they are completely valid; none of those things are wrong to want and feel, so don’t give up fighting for your desires and goals.

Read Shelby’s article:

https://bust.com/sex/18462-vaginismus-essay.html

Check out the film:

https://www.tightlywoundfilm.com