Vulvar Vestibulitis Syndrome Analysis

Imagine experiencing an extreme burning sensation accompanied by a sharp stinging pain and discomfort in the pelvic area. The pain seems to inflate after intercourse causing a major rift in the relationship with the partner. Not only does the pain limit sexual intercourse between yourself and your partner, it is also causing negative anxiety about your own sexual behavior. After countless visits to doctors and gynecologists, the cause of the pain remains unknown and you are advised that there is ‘nothing wrong’. What could these symptoms mean and why are doctors having so much trouble identifying what the issue is? Though it sounds very similar to some of the same symptoms as sexually transmitted infections, these symptoms are related to a syndrome known as vulvar vestibulitis (formerly known as vulvodynia) or vulvar pain. The very first written diagnosis was written by Friendrich in 1987. Vulvar Vestibulitis Syndrome (VVS) is a subset of vulvar pain and has been considered an entity for many years (Baggish, 2012). Symptoms of vulvar vestibulitis range from mild to severe followed with a burning or stinging sensation in the vulva or vestibule area. The pain may occur with tasks as simple as sitting or lying …show more content…
Treatment for the disorder is also a difficult task as every woman responds to each option differently. Some treatment options range from topical estrogen cream, topical steroid cream, topical lidocaine ointment (which is a numbing ointment used on the outer area), oral anti-seizure medication, physical therapy, botox injections, biofeedback and surgery. Women frequently change treatment options as these are generally not a ‘one size fits all’. When considering the option of surgery for treatment, it is important to be sure that all other methods have been tried as these operations are extremely expensive and