Film & TV4 min(s) read
Published 15:31 28 Apr 2026 GMT
A controversial Channel 4 show has returned to screens this week, with the second season set to raise more eyebrows than the first.
In case you haven't heard of Virgin Island in the past, the popular reality show follows a number of young adults who meet for the first time on a Mediterranean retreat.
Through a number of tasks and challenges, they start to open up about their anxieties and fears, with the goal of making that first step towards intimacy.
If the name didn't give it away, all 12 of those taking part are self-proclaimed virgins, as they look to set off on a unique intimacy course.
They will participate in intimacy workshops and team up with sex experts, whose job is to speak about and work on any fears they may have.
One of season two's participants has opened up about her vaginismus condition, which has taken a toll on her everyday life.
Event coordinator Joy, 22, said she lives her "life in fear" as a result of the health condition, adding in Monday's episode: "With sexual intimacy, I feel a little bit broken. I can't have sex.
"I have a condition called vaginismus. If somebody tried to touch my vagina, it would be pain, and it would be discomfort, and I'm living life in fear.
"The way that you're seen as a woman who can't physically have sex is like, what's the point?" she claimed.
Joy later had a session with one of the experts, further opening up about the condition and how it can cause her pain.
"I know I have a sexual side to me. I have vaginismus. Vaginismus is a condition related to the pelvic floor and also has a psychological fear component around the idea of insertion or entry," she explained.
She went on: "The moment that I realised I had vaginismus, it was like this whole idea of a sector of my life that could be, just closed up.
"I can't wear a tampon, I can't do a pap smear, and I definitely can't have sex. It's so hard.
Joy said that she has become frustrated with her condition, adding: "At one point, I literally thought God cursed me with vaginismus. I thought he did it to me to stop me from having sex. It's hard to undo that feeling."
Speaking to Tyla, an intimate health and women's wellness issues expert named Dr Shirin Lakhani spoke about the condition in more detail.
The health professional said that vaginismus is where the pelvic floor muscles involuntarily tighten when vaginal penetration is attempted.
Dr Lakhani explained: "This isn’t something a woman is consciously controlling,
"It’s a reflex, often rooted in a complex interplay between physical sensitivity, past experiences, and psychological factors such as anxiety or fear.
"Clinically, it can present as difficulty or inability to insert a tampon, undergo a pelvic examination, or have penetrative sex," she revealed.
"For some women, it’s lifelong (primary vaginismus), while for others it develops later (secondary), sometimes triggered by pain, trauma, childbirth, menopause-related changes, or medical conditions affecting the vulva and vagina," the expert said.
She said that both 'physical and psychological factors' play a factor, as past sexual or medical trauma can cause vaginismus.
Religious messaging used to create fear around sex can also play a part.
The doctor said that medical conditions like "hormone dysfunction or Lichen Sclerosus" can also contribute.
As for its effects on sex, Dr Lakhani said that penetrative sex can be "difficult, painful, or in some cases impossible."
Due to the fact that it's an "involuntary tightening," a barrier is made, though it also starts a cycle of anticipation, anxiety, and potentially muscle spasm.
She said that anything from "intimacy, relationships, and self-esteem" can be affected, as some with the condition can avoid sex to steer clear of pain, while others may feel guilt if they or their partners don't grasp what vaginismus is.
Vaginismus can be treated through methods such as pelvic floor exercises and psychosexual therapy.
The expert has advised anyone who thinks they might have vaginismus to see their doctor.
