Provoked vestibulodynia: A qualitative exploration of women's experiences

Abstract

Provoked vestibulodynia is the most common cause of super- ficial dyspareunia in women of repro- ductive age. Our objective was to qualitatively explore the experienc - es of women with provoked vestibu- lodynia prior to their referral to the Multidisciplinary Vulvodynia Program located in the ambulatory care cen- tre at Vancouver General Hospital. Methods: We interviewed 19 women ranging in age from 20 to 54 (mean age = 30.84 years, SD 9.06) who had met diagnostic criteria for provoked ves tibulodynia and completed the Multidisciplinary Vulvodynia Pro- gram. A semi-structured interview format was used and responses were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed. Results: Women reported having pain with sexual intercourse 70% to 100% of the time (mean 95.3%, SD 8.21) and a history of such pain rang-