A touching autobiographical piece surrounding Vaginismus. Narine_do_douce shares her experiences, good and bad, all to do with this frustrating condition.
If you see yourself in todays comic, do yourself a favor and read up on some of our other Vaginismus comics!
– Vaginismus by Erika Moen
– Vestibulodynia by Alex Assan
– And his follow up… Vestibulectomy by Alex Assan
Now go visit Narine_do_douce IG and let her know she’s rad =D
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↓ Comic Transcript
Vaginism and Us by narine_do_douce, published on April 15, 2024 on OhJoySexToy.com
narine_do_douce draws with a thin, organic line and a few wispy detail lines, giving it that subtly distinct European comic style. The color palette is mostly subtle, earthy yellows, browns, oranges, purples, and sage. Narine_do_douce is self described as a tall french-viet girl with long dark brown hair who always has eyeliner on.
Page 1
In the foreground of a bedroom, we see flower petals romantically strewn across the top of a wardrobe, which is also decorated with heart-decorated fancy candles, a box of tissue, two silver internal condom packages, and one used internal condom laid out flat next to them. The room is small and decorated like it belongs to a young woman, either a dorm room or a single, cramped apartment with posters on thee wall, a cork board with photos and notes, a big cartoonish stuffed animal, and a mini coatrack next to the bed with an assortment of hanging clothes.
A disgruntled couple sits on a bed in the background, clearly post-coital. narine_do_douce is fully nude except for her bedspread that is pulled up over her knees. She sits hunched over, hugging her knees and though she's facing towards her companion, her eyes look over her shoulder. Her companion looks at her with a mixture of being somewhat sheepish and confused as he sits on the edge of her bed, wearing only his shorts.
Narration: This weird thing happens every time I try to have sex. Nothing can enter or it hurts like hell...
From overhead and at a distance, we look down on the companion leaning over to hug narine_do_douce. They feel like a shipwrecked couple sitting on a raft in the middle of the ocean.
Narration: I really want to do it but... I can't.
narine_do_douce and a friend share a table at a bar, their sophisticated cocktails and an ashtray filling up the foreground.
"Some guy told me I was too tight." Muses narine_do_douce. Her long black hair flows past her shoulders and she wrests her chin gently against her hand.
The camera pulls back further to full show the pair at their table. narine_do_douce is a French-viet woman who wears a green halter top while her friend wears an orange t-shirt and jeans while smoking. The friend's shoulder-length brown hair is pushed loosely behind her ears, with a wisp falling along her cheek.
"Maybe that's because he sucks in bed?" The friend offers sympathetically with a half-smile, her cigarette smoke curling up and over her shoulder.
narine_do_douce smiles but then becomes downcast as she replies, "But, it's not just him. It's with every guy."
The friend looks at her with concern.
In a flashback, we join narine_do_douce in a different bedroom. A string of decorative mini-ball lantern lights glows in the low light, strung loosely across the wall. narine_do_douce sits on the bed with her knees drawn up on either side of her with a small round mirror braced between her feet and angled so she can see her vulva, which is obscured from us by her exploring hands. She only wears a bra and looks upset at the mirror as her hands probe around.
Present-day narine_do_douce's reply to her friend in the bar reads, "It's been 2 years since I'd done anything remotely sexual. I think I'm just not suited for sex. I can't even get a finger in!"
The flashback narine_do_douce with the mirror on the bed grumbles, "Argh, fuck!"
Returned to the present day in the bar, her friend gently points a finger at her, suggesting, "Or maybe you have vaginismus. You should look it up!"
Page 2
Back in the bedroom with the light string, narine_do_douce sits fully clothed on her floor with a cup of tea by her side against a cluster of seating pillows. She is looking in surprise at the laptop balanced on her crossed legs.
"Vaginismus." Her laptop informs her. "Vaginismus is when the vagina suddenly tightens up when you try to insert something into it. It can be painful and upsetting, but it can be treated."
Electrified, an extra-cartoonishly simplified icon of narine_do_douce explodes as she's struck by lightening as she realizes, "SEX CAN FEEL ?!"
Flashing back to a memory, she glares at a former companion who smiles oafishly at her while making the OK sign with one hand and with the other inserting his pointer finger into the hole.
Narration: Suddenly, I felt very angry at all of my past partners, who only focused on penetrative sex.
Standing triumphantly with her hands on her hips and a soft breeze blowing her long hair, the narration explains, "I got diagnosed pretty fast."
"It's you and me against the world baby!" She announces, wearing jeans and a t-shirt.
"Yell yeah." Her crotch announces through her jeans.
The view shifts to her fridge door with cute magnets holding up phots and various handwritten notes, like her grocery list and another one titled, "TODAY" which lists,
"-Call mom
-laundry
-Annoy everyone by talking about vaginsmus 24/7"
Out in a grassy field with speckles of colorful flowers, narine_do_douce lays on her back with her limbs starfished out.
Narration: Speaking about it was my way of coming to terms with years of sexual anguish. Despite having supportive friends, I needed something else.
Close by her head, we see the peachy-yellow sky from her vantage point with soft clouds lazily rolling by.
Narration: I needed community.
Page 3
Narration: I found a Facebook group of vaginsmus patients of my age.
The landing page of that group is displayed with a header graphic reading, "NO TABOOS" across three different nude torsos of various skin tones and shapes.
Narration: A whole new world opened.
On the Facebook page, a conversation unfolds.
narine_do_douce's text box: I kinda don't want dilators...
Tanya's text box: Totes! What are you planning then? :)
narine_do_douce adds a heart icon to Tanya's text and replies with a selfie of her giving a daring, mischievous look straight into the camera as she holds up both bands in front of her face, displaying the pointer and ring fingers dramatically, like hand-pistols pointing straight up and framing her face.
Narration: We were here for each other in our shared journey.
Back on the field, real life narine_do_douce still reclines on her back but is now joined by blue representations of her online friends, who also lay on their backs with her. They create a circle with their heads closer together and their bodies radiating outwards.
Their blue chat text boxes hover around them as they converse, several with reaction icons added to them.
Tanya: This one looks like my dildo! [heart reaction added by a friend]
Leo: Oh Tanya! [Devil emoji added by a friend]
Sam: Reminds me of my ex lmaooo
Lucy: [Three cry-laughing emojis in a row]
Chris: [Cry-laughing emoji and two laughing emojis]
Cruising along in a pink convertible with the top down, narine_do_douce joyfully explains, "Talking, laughing, crying, joking about vaginismus with the group felt so empower." Her blue digital friends throw their hands in the air as the wind wips their hair and clothes around them. "But in real life..."
Still in the driver's seat, but now somber and alone, narine_do_douce continues, "I was still struggling alone."
Page 4
Narration: And then, a friend confided in me.
Over text, a friend asks,
Iris: Hey, you have vaginismus right? Can we talk? Really struggling rn...
narine_do_douce: I'm on my way <3!
Pulling up to her friend in her pink convertible, narine_do_douce announces, "Hop in, bestie!"
The pair joyously roar off down the coastline freeway, past a helpful signpost with one arrow-shaped sign pointing to the left and reading, "Public restrooms", while the other sparkles with stars, pointing to the right and reading, "Road to pleasure!"
Narration: And this lonely path became a friends' road trip!
A collection of travel photos and postcards cascades across the panel.
Narration: Healing with Iris was the best. We were there in real life for every milestone.
Adjusting her sunhat at a jaunty angle, the friend poses for a close-up with the text, "It's Sunny in Wet-[obscured]" stamped in the corner in a funky font.
narine_do_douce and her friend sit serenely and leaning against each other on a big rock in a field of grass with a cave entrance behind them. In cursive, it is captioned, "Acceptance Cavern"
The friend poses with her fingers in peace signs in front of a beachside location sign reading, "ORGASM CAP"
Arm in arm, the friends pose triumphantly in front of a waterfall with a location sign declaring, "LUBE CASCADE"
"Hi from Confidence Bay!" Reads the final postcard, which shows the pair with their arms thrown around the others' shoulders and making big goof smiles in front of a sun setting at a beach.
Narration: From learning about lube to our first sex-positive relationships.
Page 5
Narration: A year later, we were in a much better spot.
With her luggage planted outside of the pink convertible, her friend stands on the pavement, leaning over the top as she happily tells narine_do_douce, "Thanks for the trip."
"Love you!" narine_do_douce replies from her spot behind the driver's wheel.
From overhead in a new bedroom, we see narine_do_douce entangled joyously with a partner on a rumpled bed.
Narration: Also, I had sex again. It was a blast.
At a sex shop's window, a variety of toys and underwear are on display.
Narration: It's now 6 years later.
Someone's voice asks, "Which one guys?"
Narration: I'm much more confident and open about my sexual hardships.
Narration: Vaginismus was the root of a lot of struggles.
narine_do_douce stands on the sidewalk with her friend as they scope out the toys on display. The blue online friends stand with them.
The friend declares, "The pink one!"
"You sure ?" Asks narine_do_douce. "Leo says the batter is awful."
Sam's text box in blue offers, "I have the wand, it's... something!" [A heart reaction is added]
Leo's blue text book adds, "The rabbit one! Amaziiing." [A hear reaction is added]
Narration: But, through healing and learning about... I grew more than I could have ever hoped for.
Transcribed April 14, 2025 by Erika Moen for OhJoySexToy.com
narine_do_douce draws with a thin, organic line and a few wispy detail lines, giving it that subtly distinct European comic style. The color palette is mostly subtle, earthy yellows, browns, oranges, purples, and sage. Narine_do_douce is self described as a tall french-viet girl with long dark brown hair who always has eyeliner on.
Page 1
In the foreground of a bedroom, we see flower petals romantically strewn across the top of a wardrobe, which is also decorated with heart-decorated fancy candles, a box of tissue, two silver internal condom packages, and one used internal condom laid out flat next to them. The room is small and decorated like it belongs to a young woman, either a dorm room or a single, cramped apartment with posters on thee wall, a cork board with photos and notes, a big cartoonish stuffed animal, and a mini coatrack next to the bed with an assortment of hanging clothes.
A disgruntled couple sits on a bed in the background, clearly post-coital. narine_do_douce is fully nude except for her bedspread that is pulled up over her knees. She sits hunched over, hugging her knees and though she's facing towards her companion, her eyes look over her shoulder. Her companion looks at her with a mixture of being somewhat sheepish and confused as he sits on the edge of her bed, wearing only his shorts.
Narration: This weird thing happens every time I try to have sex. Nothing can enter or it hurts like hell...
From overhead and at a distance, we look down on the companion leaning over to hug narine_do_douce. They feel like a shipwrecked couple sitting on a raft in the middle of the ocean.
Narration: I really want to do it but... I can't.
narine_do_douce and a friend share a table at a bar, their sophisticated cocktails and an ashtray filling up the foreground.
"Some guy told me I was too tight." Muses narine_do_douce. Her long black hair flows past her shoulders and she wrests her chin gently against her hand.
The camera pulls back further to full show the pair at their table. narine_do_douce is a French-viet woman who wears a green halter top while her friend wears an orange t-shirt and jeans while smoking. The friend's shoulder-length brown hair is pushed loosely behind her ears, with a wisp falling along her cheek.
"Maybe that's because he sucks in bed?" The friend offers sympathetically with a half-smile, her cigarette smoke curling up and over her shoulder.
narine_do_douce smiles but then becomes downcast as she replies, "But, it's not just him. It's with every guy."
The friend looks at her with concern.
In a flashback, we join narine_do_douce in a different bedroom. A string of decorative mini-ball lantern lights glows in the low light, strung loosely across the wall. narine_do_douce sits on the bed with her knees drawn up on either side of her with a small round mirror braced between her feet and angled so she can see her vulva, which is obscured from us by her exploring hands. She only wears a bra and looks upset at the mirror as her hands probe around.
Present-day narine_do_douce's reply to her friend in the bar reads, "It's been 2 years since I'd done anything remotely sexual. I think I'm just not suited for sex. I can't even get a finger in!"
The flashback narine_do_douce with the mirror on the bed grumbles, "Argh, fuck!"
Returned to the present day in the bar, her friend gently points a finger at her, suggesting, "Or maybe you have vaginismus. You should look it up!"
Page 2
Back in the bedroom with the light string, narine_do_douce sits fully clothed on her floor with a cup of tea by her side against a cluster of seating pillows. She is looking in surprise at the laptop balanced on her crossed legs.
"Vaginismus." Her laptop informs her. "Vaginismus is when the vagina suddenly tightens up when you try to insert something into it. It can be painful and upsetting, but it can be treated."
Electrified, an extra-cartoonishly simplified icon of narine_do_douce explodes as she's struck by lightening as she realizes, "SEX CAN FEEL ?!"
Flashing back to a memory, she glares at a former companion who smiles oafishly at her while making the OK sign with one hand and with the other inserting his pointer finger into the hole.
Narration: Suddenly, I felt very angry at all of my past partners, who only focused on penetrative sex.
Standing triumphantly with her hands on her hips and a soft breeze blowing her long hair, the narration explains, "I got diagnosed pretty fast."
"It's you and me against the world baby!" She announces, wearing jeans and a t-shirt.
"Yell yeah." Her crotch announces through her jeans.
The view shifts to her fridge door with cute magnets holding up phots and various handwritten notes, like her grocery list and another one titled, "TODAY" which lists,
"-Call mom
-laundry
-Annoy everyone by talking about vaginsmus 24/7"
Out in a grassy field with speckles of colorful flowers, narine_do_douce lays on her back with her limbs starfished out.
Narration: Speaking about it was my way of coming to terms with years of sexual anguish. Despite having supportive friends, I needed something else.
Close by her head, we see the peachy-yellow sky from her vantage point with soft clouds lazily rolling by.
Narration: I needed community.
Page 3
Narration: I found a Facebook group of vaginsmus patients of my age.
The landing page of that group is displayed with a header graphic reading, "NO TABOOS" across three different nude torsos of various skin tones and shapes.
Narration: A whole new world opened.
On the Facebook page, a conversation unfolds.
narine_do_douce's text box: I kinda don't want dilators...
Tanya's text box: Totes! What are you planning then? :)
narine_do_douce adds a heart icon to Tanya's text and replies with a selfie of her giving a daring, mischievous look straight into the camera as she holds up both bands in front of her face, displaying the pointer and ring fingers dramatically, like hand-pistols pointing straight up and framing her face.
Narration: We were here for each other in our shared journey.
Back on the field, real life narine_do_douce still reclines on her back but is now joined by blue representations of her online friends, who also lay on their backs with her. They create a circle with their heads closer together and their bodies radiating outwards.
Their blue chat text boxes hover around them as they converse, several with reaction icons added to them.
Tanya: This one looks like my dildo! [heart reaction added by a friend]
Leo: Oh Tanya! [Devil emoji added by a friend]
Sam: Reminds me of my ex lmaooo
Lucy: [Three cry-laughing emojis in a row]
Chris: [Cry-laughing emoji and two laughing emojis]
Cruising along in a pink convertible with the top down, narine_do_douce joyfully explains, "Talking, laughing, crying, joking about vaginismus with the group felt so empower." Her blue digital friends throw their hands in the air as the wind wips their hair and clothes around them. "But in real life..."
Still in the driver's seat, but now somber and alone, narine_do_douce continues, "I was still struggling alone."
Page 4
Narration: And then, a friend confided in me.
Over text, a friend asks,
Iris: Hey, you have vaginismus right? Can we talk? Really struggling rn...
narine_do_douce: I'm on my way <3!
Pulling up to her friend in her pink convertible, narine_do_douce announces, "Hop in, bestie!"
The pair joyously roar off down the coastline freeway, past a helpful signpost with one arrow-shaped sign pointing to the left and reading, "Public restrooms", while the other sparkles with stars, pointing to the right and reading, "Road to pleasure!"
Narration: And this lonely path became a friends' road trip!
A collection of travel photos and postcards cascades across the panel.
Narration: Healing with Iris was the best. We were there in real life for every milestone.
Adjusting her sunhat at a jaunty angle, the friend poses for a close-up with the text, "It's Sunny in Wet-[obscured]" stamped in the corner in a funky font.
narine_do_douce and her friend sit serenely and leaning against each other on a big rock in a field of grass with a cave entrance behind them. In cursive, it is captioned, "Acceptance Cavern"
The friend poses with her fingers in peace signs in front of a beachside location sign reading, "ORGASM CAP"
Arm in arm, the friends pose triumphantly in front of a waterfall with a location sign declaring, "LUBE CASCADE"
"Hi from Confidence Bay!" Reads the final postcard, which shows the pair with their arms thrown around the others' shoulders and making big goof smiles in front of a sun setting at a beach.
Narration: From learning about lube to our first sex-positive relationships.
Page 5
Narration: A year later, we were in a much better spot.
With her luggage planted outside of the pink convertible, her friend stands on the pavement, leaning over the top as she happily tells narine_do_douce, "Thanks for the trip."
"Love you!" narine_do_douce replies from her spot behind the driver's wheel.
From overhead in a new bedroom, we see narine_do_douce entangled joyously with a partner on a rumpled bed.
Narration: Also, I had sex again. It was a blast.
At a sex shop's window, a variety of toys and underwear are on display.
Narration: It's now 6 years later.
Someone's voice asks, "Which one guys?"
Narration: I'm much more confident and open about my sexual hardships.
Narration: Vaginismus was the root of a lot of struggles.
narine_do_douce stands on the sidewalk with her friend as they scope out the toys on display. The blue online friends stand with them.
The friend declares, "The pink one!"
"You sure ?" Asks narine_do_douce. "Leo says the batter is awful."
Sam's text box in blue offers, "I have the wand, it's... something!" [A heart reaction is added]
Leo's blue text book adds, "The rabbit one! Amaziiing." [A hear reaction is added]
Narration: But, through healing and learning about... I grew more than I could have ever hoped for.
Transcribed April 14, 2025 by Erika Moen for OhJoySexToy.com