The Association Between Urological Conditions Across the Life Course and Provoked Vulvodynia

Objective: Vulvodynia is a condition characterized by chronic pain and discomfort in the vulvar region often accompanied with physical and psychological comorbidities. Interstitial cystitis (IC)/bladder pain syndrome (BPS), a chronic condition characterized by bladder pain and urinary urgency, has repeatedly been shown to comorbidly be present in a large proportion of women with vulvodynia. However, recent studies have shown that women with vulvodynia experienced additional bladder-related symptoms beyond that of just IC/BPS. Materials and Methods: Using Swedish National Registry data, we assessed the association between urological symptoms in the presence and absence of IC/BPS in women with vulvodynia/vaginismus relative to women with no vulvar pain history. Results: After adjustment for birth year, parity, education, and residential location, women with vulvar pain had a 2.2-fold greater risk of cystitis or urethritis as expected (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.9-2.6). However, when women with cystitis codes were excluded, those with urethra disorders or other urinary symptoms codes were 1.9 times more likely to be vulvar pain cases (95% CI 1.7-2.1). Conclusions: These findings support the belief that vulvodynia is not limited to being comorbid with IC/BPS but may also likely be associated with a wide range of urological disorders.