The vulva is the external part of a woman’s genitals. Some problems you can have with the vulvar area include
- Bacterial or fungal infections
- Skin problems due to allergy
- Vulvar cancer
- Vulvodynia, also referred to as "pain down there" or "feminine pain"
Symptoms may include redness, itching, pain, or cracks in the skin. Treatment depends on the cause.
-
Disorders of the Vulva(American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists) - http://www.acog.com/publications/patient_education/bp088.cfm
Also available in Spanish http://acog.org/publications/patient_education/sp088.cfm
- About Vulvodynia: Diagnosis(National Vulvodynia Association) - http://www.nva.org/about_vulvodynia/diagnosis.html
- About Vulvodynia: Treatment(National Vulvodynia Association) - http://www.nva.org/about_vulvodynia/treatment.html
- Self-Help Tips for Vulvar Skin Care(National Vulvodynia Association) - http://www.nva.org/patient_services/Self_Help_Tips.html
-
Questions and Answers about Lichen Sclerosus
(National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases) - http://www.niams.nih.gov/Health_Info/Lichen_Sclerosus/default.asp
-
Vulvodynia(American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists) - http://www.acog.com/publications/patient_education/bp127.cfm
Also available in Spanish http://www.acog.org/publications/patient_education/sp127.cfm
-
Vulvodynia(National Institute of Child Health and Human Development) - http://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/Vulvodynia.cfm
- Vulvar Anatomy(National Vulvodynia Association) - http://www.nva.org/about_vulvodynia/vulvar_anatomy.html
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Vulvar Diseases(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Vulvar+Diseases%22
-
Vulvodynia(National Institutes of Health, Office of Research on Women's Health) - Links to PDF - http://orwh.od.nih.gov/health/VulvodyniaFS.pdf
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
- Article: A survey on diagnosis and treatment of vulvodynia among vulvodynia... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=19160650&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Pimecrolimus 1% cream for pruritus in postmenopausal diabetic women with... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=19160532&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Cognitive-affective correlates and predictors of superficial dyspareunia. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=19105077&tool=MedlinePlus
- Vulvar Disorders -- see more articles - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=search&db=pubmed&term=(vulvar+diseases[majr]+NOT+(vulvar+neoplasms[mh]+OR+candidiasis[mh]+OR+candida+albicans[majr]+OR+condylomata+acuminata[majr]))+AND+english[la]+AND+humans[mh]+NOT+(case+reports[pt]+OR+editorial[pt]+OR+letter[pt])&cmd_current=Limits&pmfilter_EDatLimit=last+1+Year&tool=MedlinePlus
- American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists - http://www.acog.org/
-
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development - http://www.nichd.nih.gov/
- National Vulvodynia Association - http://www.nva.org
- Pediatric Vulvar Lichen Sclerosus(North American Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology) - http://www.naspag.org/patients/lichen.cfm
- Vaginal Diseases - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/vaginaldiseases.html
- Vulvar Cancer - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/vulvarcancer.html
- Female Reproductive System - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/femalereproductivesystem.html
- Women - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/women.html
The primary NIH organization for research on Vulvar Disorders is the NIH Office of Research on Women's Health - http://www4.od.nih.gov/orwh/