Genitopelvic Pain: A Scoping Review of Studies in Minoritized Samples

Limited genitopelvic pain research has focused on racially/ethnically, sexually, and gender/sex minoritized samples despite its high prevalence among these groups. The aim of this scoping review was to examine genitopelvic pain research published on racially/ethnically, sexually, and gender/sex minoritized samples. After removal of duplicates, the abstracts of 1,330 articles were screened, and 974 were excluded. Of 356 remaining studies, 227 were included for data extraction. Results indicated that genitopelvic pain is common among minoritized groups, that they often fare worse in psychosocial and sexual wellbeing, and that they develop a variety of coping strategies. Also, some racially/ethnically minoritized groups report higher pain severity, describe their pain differently than detailed in clinical guidelines, and report medical mistrust in their healthcare interactions. In addition, sexually minoritized women who identify as bisexual or partner with men often reported higher frequency of pain. Most studies focused on cisgender women with genitopelvic pain; studies that focused on men were primarily concerned with anodyspareunia in cisgender men who have sex with men or with genitopelvic pain in trans men post gender-affirming surgery. Future work should inform the updating of existing clinical guidelines, frameworks, and validated measures in a culturally sensitive and inclusive manner.