Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2015 Jul;19(3):248-52.
doi: 10.1097/LGT.0000000000000075.

History of Abuse in Women With Vulvar Pruritus, Vulvodynia, and Asymptomatic Controls

Bina Cohen-Sacher  1 , Hope K Haefner, Vanessa K Dalton, Mitchell B Berger
Affiliations

History of Abuse in Women With Vulvar Pruritus, Vulvodynia, and Asymptomatic Controls

Bina Cohen-Sacher et al. J Low Genit Tract Dis. 2015 Jul.

Abstract

Objective: Chronic vulvar pruritus and vulvodynia are common vulvar diseases. The aim of this study was to compare gynecologic and sexual and physical abuse histories from patients with these diagnoses and from healthy controls.

Materials and methods: Questionnaires were self-completed by patients diagnosed with vulvar itch-scratch (n = 93), patients diagnosed with vulvodynia (n = 232), and patients presenting for annual gynecologic examinations (n = 104) at the University of Michigan Hospitals, Ann Arbor, MI.

Results: Patients who came for annual examinations were less likely to report past gynecologic infections (p < .05) and indicated higher interest in and more frequent sexual activity than the other 2 groups (p = .003). Vulvodynia patients had the highest scores on the McGill Pain Questionnaire (p < .001). Subjects with either vulvar disorder were more likely to self-report a history of gynecologic infections than annual examination controls. Rates of sexual (p = .78) and physical abuse (p = .12) were similar for all 3 groups.

Conclusions: Patients with vulvar pruritus and vulvodynia report similar rates of sexual and physical abuse.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Jones RW, Scurry J, Neill S, MacLean AB. Guidelines for the follow-up of women with vulvar lichen sclerosus in specialist clinics. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2008;198:496 e491–3. - PubMed
    1. Wallace HJ. Lichen sclerosus et atrophicus. Trans St Johns Hosp Dermatol Soc. 1971;57:9–30. - PubMed
    1. Fischer GO. The commonest causes of symptomatic vulvar disease: a dermatologist's perspective. Australas J Dermatol. 1996;37:12–8. - PubMed
    1. Goldstein AT, Marinoff SC, Christopher K, Srodon M. Prevalence of vulvar lichen sclerosus in a general gynecology practice. J Reprod Med. 2005;50:477–80. - PubMed
    1. Leibovitz A, Kaplun VV, Saposhnicov N, Habot B. Vulvovaginal examinations in elderly nursing home women residents. Arch Gerontol Geriatr. 2000;31:1–4. - PubMed

Publication types

MeSH terms