What are vulvodynia and Vulvar Vestibulitis Syndrome?
Vulvodynia is a medical term that means “painful vulva”. The term can cover a wide variety of vulvar pain syndromes, including various infections and skin disorders. Vulvar pain syndromes have been written about in medical books since at least the late 1800s. In 1889, Dr. A.J.C. Skene wrote a “Treatise on the Diseases of Women” wherein he described a disorder that was characterized by an “excessive sensitivity” of the vulva. He stated that itching was absent, but when “the examining finger comes in contact with the hyperesthetic part, the patient complains of pain which is sometimes so great as to cause her to cry out”. He treated this condition by surgically removing the affected area. However, he noted that this provided only temporary relief. In 1928, Dr. H.A. Kelly wrote about a condition characterized by “exquisitely sensitive deep-red spots on the mucosa of the hymenal ring” as a frequent source of painful intercourse. However, this condition appears to have then been ignored in
