Itch and burning pain in women with partial vaginismus with or without vulvar vestibulitis

Maria Engman1, Klaas Wijma, Barbro Wijma

  • 1Division of Gender and Medicine, Department of Molecular and Clinical Medicine, Linköping University, Linköping. Maria.Engman@ltkalmar.se

Fifty-three women with partial vaginismus with or without vulvar vestibulitis and 27 asymptomatic women estimated sensations of burning pain and itch at 20 standardized moments during a standardized penetration situation, including vaginal muscle contractions. Forty-three women with partial vaginismus (81.1%) reported burning pain, 23 (43.4%) itch, and 22 (41.5%) both complaints, compared to 0% of the asymptomatic women. In 17 of 22 cases, burning pain preceded the appearance of itch and in four cases the two complaints coincided. The median time from the moment when burning pain started until itch appeared was 150 seconds.

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