Vulvodynia and sexual abuse

This pain may or may not be triggered by touch and may be felt in one area or across the whole vulva. Women with vulvodynia have a normal-looking vulva. It is a chronic condition that can last for months or years. For some women it can be so uncomfortable that sitting for long periods, using tampons or having sex is difficult or impossible. Vulvodynia can affect women at any age but is most common in young women who have pain during sex and are often unable to have penetrative sex at all called provoked vestibulodynia. Some research suggests that women with vulvodynia may have been born with more nerve endings in the area around and between their urethra and vagina called the vestibule , and if these nerves become damaged, the area becomes hypersensitive.

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Vulvodynia literally means 'pain in the vulva. Women who have it often describe vulvodynia as a burning or shooting pain throughout the vulva. This condition is closely related to a condition called vulvar vestibulitis, where women experience pain around the opening of the vagina. Both of these conditions will be discussed in this Health Centre.

Chronic vulvar pruritus and vulvodynia are common vulvar diseases. The aim of this study was to compare gynecological and sexual and physical abuse histories from patients with these diagnoses, and from healthy controls. Subjects with either vulvar disorder were more likely to self-report a history of gynecologic infections than annual examination controls.