The Vu-Net (Vulvodynia Network) project is aimed at investigating chronic vulvar pain and its medical and sexual comorbidities, given its remarkable impact on the quality of life of both women and couples.
The reported incidence of chronic vulvar pain (lasting 3-6 months) in women is 16%. This cross-sectional study involved 1183 patients with chronic vulvar pain attending 21 Italian medical centers from December 2016 to November 2018. 70.7% of enrolled women were between 20 and 49 years of age.
Main diagnoses were spontaneous or provoked vestibulodynia (70.8%) and generalized vulvodynia (27.3%). The main reason for consultation was introital pain on penetration (64.2%), together with associated sexual dysfunctions, such as vaginal dryness (29.8%), hypoactive sexual desire disorder (22.1%) and sexual arousal disorder (21.3%). 48.3% had prolonged pain, lasting 1 to 5 years, with a mean diagnostic delay of 4 years and 7 months.
The main comorbidities that emerged from the study include high association with intestinal disorders (94.7%), in particular IBS (27.3%), constipation (23.5%), and food allergies (10.1%); bladder infections (37.4%) including recurrent cystitis (19.5%) and post-coital cystitis (17.9%); recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis (32%); headache (25.7%); mental disorders (22.6%); allergies (17.5%); endometriosis (11.7%).
77.4% of the Vu-Net patients had previously been treated without improving their condition.
The analysis of the comorbidities allows the gynecologist to recognize the clusters of patients that will obtain the best results when treated with a multimodal intervention.
The reported incidence of chronic vulvar pain (lasting 3-6 months) in women is 16%. This cross-sectional study involved 1183 patients with chronic vulvar pain attending 21 Italian medical centers from December 2016 to November 2018. 70.7% of enrolled women were between 20 and 49 years of age.
Main diagnoses were spontaneous or provoked vestibulodynia (70.8%) and generalized vulvodynia (27.3%). The main reason for consultation was introital pain on penetration (64.2%), together with associated sexual dysfunctions, such as vaginal dryness (29.8%), hypoactive sexual desire disorder (22.1%) and sexual arousal disorder (21.3%). 48.3% had prolonged pain, lasting 1 to 5 years, with a mean diagnostic delay of 4 years and 7 months.
The main comorbidities that emerged from the study include high association with intestinal disorders (94.7%), in particular IBS (27.3%), constipation (23.5%), and food allergies (10.1%); bladder infections (37.4%) including recurrent cystitis (19.5%) and post-coital cystitis (17.9%); recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis (32%); headache (25.7%); mental disorders (22.6%); allergies (17.5%); endometriosis (11.7%).
77.4% of the Vu-Net patients had previously been treated without improving their condition.
The analysis of the comorbidities allows the gynecologist to recognize the clusters of patients that will obtain the best results when treated with a multimodal intervention.