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NIH Launches First-Ever National Vulvodynia Awareness Campaign
On October 24, 2007, the National Institutes of Health launched the first-ever national vulvodynia awareness campaign at the National Press Club in Washington, DC. Among the nine speakers at the event were Christin Veasley, NVA’s Associate Executive Director, Hope Haefner, MD, Director of the University of Michigan’s Center for Vulvar Diseases, and Bernard Harlow, PhD, Chair of the University of Minnesota’s Division of Epidemiology and Community Health. You can read Ms. Veasley’s speech here or watch a videocast of the entire press conference on ORWH's web site. This campaign, which resulted from NVA’s lobbying efforts on Capitol Hill, was spearheaded by the NIH Office of Research Women’s Health (ORWH) in consultation with NVA, and was joined by 30 government agencies and health organizations. As part of the campaign, a diverse group of courageous women with vulvodynia, ranging in age from 25 - 58, have come forward to share their stories with the media in the hope of raising public awareness of the condition. The NVA, ORWH and the National Women's Health Resource Center have been leading the publicity campaign by contacting editors and writers at popular magazines, newspapers, and health and news websites. Following the launch event, for example, many internet sites, such as everydayhealth.com and earthtimes.org featured articles on vulvodynia and Dr. Laura Berman discussed chronic vulvar pain on her Yahoo health blog, The Art of Intimacy . Reporter Darla Carter wrote an article on vulvodynia for the Louisville Courier Journal and Denise Oliviera, a New York journalist and NVA member, wrote an excellent piece for the New York City Independent Media Center . One of NVA's strongest proponents for the past 10 years has been Phyllis Greenberger, MSW, president of the Society for Women's Health Research (SWHR). Shortly after the campaign launch, Dr. Jennifer Wider of the SWHR wrote an article on vulvodynia for HealthNewsDigest.com , which was subsequently picked up by numerous web sites, including Science Daily, AHN and MedHeadlines. In December, Dr. Pinn focused her monthly PodCast, Pinn Point on Women's Health , on vulvodynia. You can download the PodCast or read the transcript on ORWH's web site. The National Vulvodynia Association (NVA) is an educational, nonprofit organization founded to disseminate information on vulvodynia. The NVA recommends that you consult your own health care practitioner to determine which course of treatment or medication is appropriate for you. Last Updated on July 7, 2010 |
