Appendix A from
Klaassen M, and Ter Kuile MM. Development and initial validation of the Vaginal Penetration Cognition Questionnaire (VPCQ) in a sample of women with vaginismus and dyspareunia. J Sex Med 2009;6:1617–1627.
Vaginal Penetration Cognition Questionnaire (VPCQ)
Women have various thoughts and feelings about vaginal penetration. Vaginal penetration means insertion of a penis, finger (yours or your partner's), tampon and/or another object into the vagina. This questionnaire asks about your thoughts concerning vaginal penetration. The questionnaire consists of statements about vaginal penetration. You will be asked to indicate the extent to which each is applicable to you. Your thoughts about vaginal penetration are important and you can fill in this questionnaire completely regardless of whether or not penetration is possible or has ever been possible for you. There are no "good" or "bad" answers to the questions or statements. Your answer is the best when it reflects your own thoughts and feelings with regard to vaginal penetration.
Please check or circle the answer that is most applicable to you. The possible answers range from "0=not at all applicable" to "6=very strongly applicable."
The following is an example for clarification
Example:
I have the following thoughts about vaginal penetration:
Thought / Not at all applicable / Very strongly applicable1.I am afraid that my vagina will not get moist (wet) / / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6
Suppose that you never have this thought, then you would circle "0."
You can now begin
I have the following thoughts about vaginal penetration:
Thought / Not at all applicable / Very strongly applicable1. / I am afraid that my vagina is too narrow for penetration / 0 / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6
2. / I am afraid that I will lose control over the situation during penetration / 0 / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6
3. / Penetration will feel good / 0 / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6
4. / Thinking about pain with penetration makes me very anxious / 0 / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6
5. / Penetration is a moment of intimacy with my partner / 0 / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6
6. / Penetration surely will not succeed / 0 / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6
7. / I think about everything that can go wrong and fail with penetration / 0 / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6
8. / I am afraid that I will panic during penetration / 0 / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6
9. / If I had no pain, penetration would be possible / 0 / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6
10. / I am afraid that penetration will become increasingly more difficult in the future / 0 / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6
11. / I am only a complete woman when penetration is successful / 0 / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6
12. / Penetration is a part of love / 0 / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6
13. / I am afraid that the penetration pain will get worse in the future / 0 / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6
14. / I feel "dirty" with penetration / 0 / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6
15. / I am a poor partner when penetration fails / 0 / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6
16. / Penetration surely won't succeed / 0 / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6
17. / I am afraid that the inside of my vagina will be damaged by penetration / 0 / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6
18. / I will become sexually aroused with penetration / 0 / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6
19. / Penetration gives me an unpleasant feeling in my vagina / 0 / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6
20. / I will be able to have a sex life that includes penetration in the future / 0 / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6
21. / Feeling my vagina with my own finger is scary / 0 / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6
22. / My partner's penis is too big for my vagina / 0 / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6
23. / I can easily let go of any unpleasant thoughts about penetration / 0 / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6
24. / Penetration will be pleasurable / 0 / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6
25. / I am afraid that what goes into my vagina possibly cannot come out / 0 / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6
26. / I am the only one in the world for whom penetration is unsuccessful / 0 / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6
27. / During penetration I experience a sense of control / 0 / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6
28. / My vagina is abnormally shaped / 0 / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6
29. / I am afraid of cramping up during penetration / 0 / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6
30. / I feel guilty when penetration is not possible / 0 / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6
31. / I can control the pain with penetration / 0 / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6
32. / The pain with penetration is caused by an illness, infection or inflammation / 0 / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6
33. / Penetration will result in an orgasm / 0 / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6
34. / I am afraid that when penetration is not successful, my partner will leave/ I will never have a partner / 0 / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6
35. / My mind says "yes", but my body says "no" to penetration / 0 / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6
36. / I am afraid that I can have no influence on what happens during penetration / 0 / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6
37. / Penetration will not be painful for me / 0 / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6
38. / It feels frightening not knowing what happens in my body during penetration / 0 / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6
39. / I have concerns about penetration that I cannot get off my mind / 0 / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6
40. / Even if penetration is not successful, I am still a good sexual partner / 0 / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6