Zosia Mamet Has a Condition That Feels Like a "Hot Poker" in Her Vagina

Girls star Zosia Mamet opens up to our friends at YourTango about having pelvic floor dysfunction.

It's called pelvic floor dysfunction — and here's what you need to know.

Our vaginas are complicated machines. And it's still so taboo to talk about them that often times we ignore symptoms that could be serious because we're too afraid to see a doctor.

It's just another part of our body, people! If you had a pain in your arm, you'd ask a professional about it. So, why are we still so intimidated about our happy holes?

That's why I'm genuinely proud of actress Zosia Mamet, of HBO Girls, for speaking publicly about her struggle with pelvic floor dysfunction.

This past week, at the AOL Makers Conference, Mamet opened up about her battle with the painful disorder and shed light on the symptoms. Mamet said she had insane urinary frequency and painful sex that felt like a "hot poker" up her vag.

During the conference, Mamet had this to say:

"It was an incredibly long journey to figure out what was wrong with me... For 6 years, I felt like I had the worst UTI of my life. I did not have a UTI. I never thought I would want a UTI, but I wanted one so badly like a kid wants a puppy for Christmas because every time my test came back negative, it meant I still didn't have an answer to what was causing my insane urinary frequency and unbearable pain."

So, what exactly IS pelvic floor dysfunction and how do we know if we have it? According to Wikipedia: "Pelvic floor dysfunction refers to a wide range of issues that occur when muscles of the pelvic floor are weak, tight, or there is an impairment of the sacroiliac joint, lower back, coccyx, or hip joints.

Symptoms include pelvic pain, pressure, dyspareunia, incontinence, incomplete emptying, and gross organ protrusion. Many times, the underlying cause of pelvic pain is difficult to determine.The condition affects up to 50 percent of women."

Umm, OUCH!

Isa Hererra, a physical therapist that specializes in pelvic floor dysfunction, says that the average woman can see several doctors before getting an accurate diagnosis. "It's what I call the 'doctor roadshow.' The symptoms are so wide that it can be confusing for many practitioners," Herrera said.

Treatment can involve taking muscle relaxants and, worst case scenario, surgery. But guess what? It doesn't have to be so scary. Physical therapy, both internally and externally, can be done to help improve the dysfunction by essentially lengthening and loosening the muscles inside your vagina.

It can be difficult if you do get the courage to see a doctor and they don't take you seriously. If you are having these symptoms, it might be best to search for a professional who specializes in the disorder because they'll know what to look for — that's their job.

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