Vulvar vestibulitis: medical, psychosexual and psychosocial aspects, a case-control study

Abstract

Background: Vulvar vestibulitis is suspected to be increasingly prevalent among young women, but the etiology is still unclear. The aim of this study was to explore the differences in medical, psychosexual and psychosocial factors between women with vulvar vestibulitis and a control group.

Methods: A case-control study was made with 38 women with vulvar vestibulitis and 71 healthy age-matched controls. All the women answered a structured questionnaire about their medical and gynecological history which included psychosexual and psychosocial background factors and current aspects as well.

Results: Women with vulvar vestibulitis have very much the same psychosocial and sexual background factors as their controls, whereas there are many differences in their medical background factors, both gynecological and others. It is very clear that they suffer from many other somatic symptoms more often than their controls.

Conclusions: There are no indications of a primary sexual disturbance in women with vulvar vestibulitis. However, the finding that women with vulvar vestibulitis have many different somatic symptoms indicates a psychosomatic strain in the illness. Regardless of whether this is primary or secondary, it should be taken into consideration when treating the patients.