What is Vulvodynia?
Wednesday, July 22nd, 2009A term that you may have come across and that may be affecting your enjoyment of sex and life in general is vulvodynia.
This is a term that is sometimes (erroneously) used interchangeably with vaginismus, dyspareunia, and vulvar vestibulitis – sometimes even by medical professionals!
Vulvodynia specifically refers to pain around the vulva (the highly innervated external female genital organs). Roughly speaking, it’s what you are able to see from the outside. Vulvar Vestibulitis, on the other hand, refers specifically to chronic pain at the vestibule (entrance) of the vagina.
It may not come as a surprise that vulvodynia can cause vaginismus. The pain associated with having the vagina entered can cause the body to develop a tightening reflex that creates a vicious cycle.