Abstract
Vulvodynia is the experience of idiopathic pain characterized by burning, soreness, or throbbing in the external female genitalia or vulva and is estimated to be experienced by 4–16% of the female population, yet only half of women seek help regarding their symptoms. Of the women who do seek help, only around 2% obtain a diagnosis. Therefore, the aim of the current study was to explore the experiences of women with vulvodynia on their journey toward diagnosis, by using semi-structured interviews and an interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) methodology. Eight women were interviewed, and their experiences were analyzed and interpreted into three master themes, each with constituent sub-themes: (1) The Journey Is a Battle, (2) “What Is Vulvodynia?”: Ambivalence Toward Diagnosis, and (3) Patriarchy, Women, and Sex. Overall, women perceived a healthcare system which was dismissive and shaming, with an inadequate knowledge of vulvodynia. This in turn impacted on women’s psychological well-being. Psychological understanding, one-to-one therapy, and consultation and training for healthcare professionals may help to improve the psychological well-being of women with vulvodynia.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Number of pages | 14 |
| Journal | Archives of Sexual Behavior |
| Early online date | 25 Jul 2018 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | E-pub ahead of print - 25 Jul 2018 |
Keywords
- Interpretative phenomenological analysis
- Vulval/vulvar pain
- Vulvodynia
Access to Document
- Full-text PDF (final published version)
This is the final published version of the article (version of record). It first appeared online via Springer at https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs10508-018-1246-z . Please refer to any applicable terms of use of the publisher.