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Contact: Phyllis Mate
(301) 299-0775
Fax: (301) 299-3999
National Institutes of Health Provide First Funding on Misunderstood
Gynecological Disorder
WASHINGTON - November 15, 2000 - Three research studies on vulvodynia,
a painful gynecologic disorder in women, have been awarded federal
funding for the first time by the National Institutes of Health.
According to Phyllis Mate, Executive Director of the National Vulvodynia
Association (NVA), "This funding is a major milestone for the
hundreds of thousands of women suffering from chronic vulvar pain,
a condition which interferes with their ability to lead full physical,
social and sexual lives. We need to find out what causes vulvodynia
and develop better treatment strategies."
Vulvodynia is characterized by chronic vulvar burning, stinging,
rawness or irritation. It interferes with a woman's ability to perform
daily activities and engage in sexual intercourse. Symptoms range
from mild to severe and can occur on a constant or intermittent
basis (please see Background on next page for further information).
The National Institute for Child Health and Human Development and
the Office of Research on Women's Health jointly allocated funds
and issued requests for research proposals on February 7, 2000.
Seventeen research proposals were submitted last spring. The three
studies that have been funded will be conducted over the next three
to five years. Preliminary results from these studies will be available
as soon as one year from now.
Bernard Harlow, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology,
and Reproductive Epidemiology at Harvard Medical School, will be
investigating the prevalence of vulvodynia in his proposed five
year study. The study aims to assess demographic, environmental
and various other risk factors for vulvodynia. "We are confident
that the data generated will expand our knowledge of potential biological
determinants and environmental factors that influence the risk of
vulvodynia. It is our hope that this understanding will lead to
novel treatments for patients suffering from this debilitating disorder,"
said Dr. Harlow. The second study will examine possible neuro-immunologic
causes of vulvodynia, by examining one hundred vulvodynia patients
and comparing their results to those of a control group, i.e., two
hundred women who do not have the disorder. In this study, Barbara
Reed, M.D., Associate Professor of Family Medicine at the University
of Michigan School of Medicine, and her colleagues will be comparing
the two groups of women on the following: physical examination,
laboratory tests, inflammatory substances in the blood, and density
of nerve fibers and levels of inflammatory cells in the vulvar tissue.
Dr. Reed commented that "results from this study will lead
to improved understanding of neuro-immunologic alterations in women
with vulvodynia which will direct future therapeutic strategies
for this disorder." Gynecologic Pain Funding
(page 2)
A study by Gloria Bachman, M.D., Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology
and Medicine at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New
Jersey, was designed to determine whether vulvodynia is more common
in certain age groups and whether there are similarities among women
who develop vulvodynia. In addition, Dr. Bachman and her colleagues
will assess the benefit of both traditional and new pharmacologic
and dietary interventions in diagnosed women. "Our hope is
to avoid surgical intervention if at all possible," says Dr.
Bachman. Another goal of this research project is to disseminate
educational materials on the symptoms and treatment of vulvodynia
to the medical community and women's health organizations. This
is of vast importance because vulvodynia tends to be misdiagnosed
and inappropriately treated.
BACKGROUND
Vulvodynia is a painful and poorly understood chronic gynecologic
pain disorder in which women commonly experience symptoms of burning,
stinging and rawness in the vulva. Most women who have the disorder
report painful sexual intercourse, or an inability to engage in
sexual relations, and many are unable to exercise or to sit for
prolonged periods of time. In the worst cases, victims are bedridden
with unremitting burning and/or stabbing pain. Since the medical
community has a poor understanding of the condition, women are commonly
misdiagnosed with a yeast infection, sexually transmitted disease
or dermatologic condition. Women most commonly seek the advise of
several physicians (up to as many as seven) before receiving an
accurate diagnosis. They are left suffering for months and sometimes
years before the condition is properly diagnosed and treated.
The cause of vulvodynia remains unknown. Suspected triggers include:
an injury to, or irritation of the nerves that supply input to the
vulva; a localized hypersensitivity to candida (yeast); a reaction
to an environmental irritants or allergens; and spasm of the muscles
that support the pelvic organs. There is no evidence that vulvodynia
is caused by infection or that it is a sexually transmitted disease.
Most cases of vulvodynia are not cured, but there are a number of
treatments that can partially or totally alleviate the symptoms.
One of the recommended treatments is the use of antidepressant or
anticonvulsant medications that alters the transmission of pain
impulses to the brain.
Other therapies include physical therapy, biofeedback and nerve
blocks. For some vulvar vestibulitis patients, interferon injections
may be helpful. Surgery is recommended primarily for vulvar vestibulitis
patients when conservative therapies do not provide relief.
About the NVA
The National Vulvodynia Association (NVA), a non-profit organization
established in 1994, began as a small local support group. Today,
more than 4,000 patients and health care practitioners throughout
the world belong to the organization. The NVA disseminates newsletters
written by medical experts, provides support services and physician
referrals, and encourages research on the disorder. Its medical
advisory board is comprised of clinicians and scientists from diverse
medical specialties, including gynecology, dermatology, pain management
and physical therapy. For additional information, visit the NVA's
website at www.nva.org
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