Diagnosing Vulvodynia

To diagnose vulvodynia, your health care professional will take a detailed medical history including symptoms, treatments you may have already tried, your menstrual cycle, feminine hygiene, sexual history, previous medical problems or surgeries, as well as any prescription and over the counter medications you use. Before your appointment, think about how best to describe the nature of your pain (e.g., its severity, when it occurs, what aggravates it, etc.) and how it impedes your daily life and functioning. Talk about any difficulties you have using tampons or having sexual intercourse.

To rule out other causes of vulvar pain, such as yeast or bacterial infections or skin conditions, your health care provider should carefully examine the vulva, vagina and any vaginal secretions. Vulvar skin usually appears normal despite the occurrence of pain. If there is redness or inflammation, your provider may use a large magnifying instrument (called a colposcope) to take a closer look at the vulvar skin. If there is an area on the surface that is different from the normal skin,, a biopsy may be performed, in which a sample of skin tissue is removed and examined under a microscope.

A cotton swab test is often used to map vulvar pain. Your provider will use a moist, cotton-tipped swab to place pressure on various parts of the vulva to locate the pain and determine how severe it is by your reaction to the pressure the swab exerts.

Be sure to tell your provider about other symptoms or health problems you have noticed. Many women with vulvodynia also have irritable bowel syndrome, fibromyalgia (musculoskeletal pain and fatigue disorder) and interstitial cystitis, a condition that causes recurring discomfort or pain in the bladder. Researchers are looking into the association between these conditions.

This content was produced with support from the Office of Research on Women's Health, National Institutes of Health, as part of the Vulvodynia Awareness Campaign.

Create Date: 10/24/07
Date Last Updated: 10/24/07