Vulvodynia has been defined by the International Society for the Study of Vulval diseases as vulval discomfort, most often described as a burning pain, occurring in the absence of relevant visible findings or a specific, clinically identifiable, neurologic disorder. Patients can be further classified by the anatomical site of the pain (e.g. generalized vulvodynia, hemivulvodynia, clitorodynia) and also by whether pain is provoked or unprovoked.

Patients previously given a diagnosis of vestibulitis should now be called vestibulodynia (localized provoked vulvodynia). The aims of treatment are to reduce the level of discomfort/pain, reduce the psychological/psychosexual morbidity and if appropriate to make sexual intercourse more comfortable. Treatment should be multidisciplinary.

Patient information

British Association of Dermatologists leaflet on vulvodynia - http://www.bad.org.uk/Portals/_Bad/Patient%20Information%20Leaflets%20(PILs)/Vulvodynialeafletpossiblyfinalversion24.5.06.pdf
Vulval Pain Society leaflet - http://vulvalpainsociety.org/uploads/LVPSG%20leaflet%202010-07.pdf
Care down there http://www.caredownthere.com.au/_pages/information_care.html
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/416644/national_institutes_of_health_launches.html?cat=5
http://www.vulvodynia.com/

Patient support groups
Vulval Pain Society - www.vulvalpainsociety.org
National Vulvodynia Association - www.nva.org

Treatment guidelines and information
British Society for the Study of Vulval Disease guidelines for the management of vulvodynia