Vulvodynia Awareness Campaign
Vulvodynia, also referred to as “the pain down
there” or also as “feminine pain,” is chronic discomfort or
pain of the vulva, which is the area around the outside of the vagina. Researchers
estimate that as many as 18 percent of women will experience symptoms
consistent with vulvodynia.
To address this serious women’s health issue, the Office of Research on Women’s Health at NIH, in partnership with the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, the NIH Pain Consortium, and other partners, has established the Vulvodynia Awareness Campaign. The campaign launch is open to the public. If you would like to receive a press kit, please e-mail aprilb@esi-dc.com.
You may order the Vulvodynia Awareness Campaign information packet by contacting the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Information Resource Center at 1-800-370-2943 or visiting: http://www.nichd.nih.gov/publications/.
For online information, review the list of frequently asked questions about vulvodynia or select from the links below.
Vulvodynia Career Award Opportunity
The National Vulvodynia Association (NVA) is pleased to invite medical and allied health care professionals to apply for the Dr. Stanley C. Marinoff Vulvodynia Career Development Award. The award was established to encourage medical professionals to pursue their clinical and/or academic interest in vulvodynia. The deadline is Friday, October 17, 2008. For additional information, please contact: Christin Veasley, Associate Executive Director, National Vulvodynia Association at chris@nva.org.
Online Resources
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Office of Research on Women’s Health Science Series Fact Sheet: Vulvodynia
Office of Research on Women’s Health Science Series Fact Sheet: Vulvodinia [In Spanish]
Office of Research on Women’s Health Vulvodynia Awareness Campaign Brochure
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD). Vulvodynia
National Library of Medicine. Vulvar Disorders
Additional Resources
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Vulvodynia. ACOG Patient Education Pamphlet
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Vulvodynia. ACOG Patient Education Pamphlet [In Spanish]
National Research Center for Women & Families. Vulvodynia and Genital Pain
National Vulvodynia Association. Vulvodynia: integrating current knowledge into clinical practice [tutorial with CME/CE accreditation on the Internet]
National Vulvodynia Association. The many faces of vulvodynia
Society of Women’s Health Research. Chronic pelvic pain: a tricky diagnosis
Society for Women’s Health Research. Number of women afflicted by vulvar pain underestimated
WebMD. Many women suffer from vulvar pain
WebMD. Vulvar pain isn't so rare.
WebMD. Vulvodynia: causes, symptoms, and treatments
Campaign Partners
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Office of Research on Women’s Health
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)
National Institute of
Neurological Disorders and Stroke
The NIH Pain Consortium
National Library of Medicine
Additional HHS Partners
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Health Resources and Services Administration
Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
Office of Minority Health
Office of Women’s Health
U.S.
Food and Drug Administration
Non-Federal Partners
American
College
of
Nurse-Midwives
American
College of Obstetricians
and Gynecologists
American Medical Women’s Association
American Society for Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology
Association of American Indian Physicians
Black Women's Health Imperative
International Society for the Study of Vulvovaginal Disease
National
Alliance
for Hispanic Health
National Black Nurses Association
National Hispanic Medical Association
National Medical Association
National
Research
Center
for Women & Families
National Vulvodynia Association
National Women’s Health Network
National Women’s
Health
Resource
Center
North American Menopause Society
Our Bodies Ourselves
Society for Women’s Health Research
University of
Medicine and Dentistry of
New Jersey
University of
Michigan
Center for Vulvar
Diseases
University
of
Minnesota Division of
Epidemiology and Community Medicine
WebMD
Women’s Health Institute at
Howard
University
Women's Sexual Health Foundation
Women’s Health Specialists, University of Tennessee
Research on Vulvodynia
NIH Funded research in Vulvodynia (2005)
Research on Gynecological Disorder (NICHD)
Latest Journal Publications on Vulvodynia (PubMed)
Ongoing clinical trials (clinicaltrials.gov)
Menopausal Hormone Therapy
Uterine Fibroids
Links for Researchers
Consumer Links