A study conducted at theUniversity of Milan-Bicocca and published in March 2025 in BMC Psychology delved into the experiences of women affected by vulvodinia through their own words, highlighting how this condition is not just a physical problem, but something that deeply affects femininity and all dimensions of women’s lives, from sociality to intimate relationships
Vulvodynia and psychological distress: what the studies say
Other work had already shown the close association between anxiety and depression, vulvodinia and sexual functioning, suggesting that combating these factors could improve the overall quality of life of women with vulvodinia. The Italian study, for the first time, chronicles that experienced through the voices of the women themselves. It involved 35 women with vulvodinia and analyzed the factors that can affect their psychological health. First and foremost, a widespread lack of knowledge of the disease itself by the scientific community emerged, which delays diagnoses and leads to a “delegitimization” of pain, which is often downplayed by doctors or family members. This is a crucial element of suffering for sufferers. On the other hand, among the positive factors for women’s mental health, two elements have been identified: the ability of women themselves to find satisfying sexual alternatives to full intercourse, which is often experienced with pain, and the psychological support obtained in online patient groups. Both of these strategies were identified as determinants of their psychological well-being
Vulvodynia: women’s most common feelings
An important part of the work was devoted to the analysis of women’s inner experience after the diagnosis of vulvodinia: in particular, the scientists wanted to illustrate how the disease can completely rewrite women’s perception of themselves and their femininity. Here are the most common feelings reported by the respondents.1. A dysfunctional relationship with one’s body. Women describe a relationship of deep crisis with their bodies. The sexual act stops being associated with pleasure or procreation to become an “enemy,” causing pain and suffering. A strong sense of alienation emerges: the body is perceived as a “foreign” object over which one no longer has control.2. A sense of devaluation as a woman and as a mother. Grief leads to feeling half a woman, incomplete, inadequate. One of the most recurring metaphors reported in the interviews is that of the broken clock, a cog that is no longer as perfect as it was at birth, but is now missing the most important piece. This feeling of inadequacy extends to the maternal role: those without children fear that they are “too fragile” to take care of someone else, while mothers feel a deep sense of guilt. The fatigue and frustration caused by chronic pain make them fear that they are not sufficiently efficient and high-performing mothers, able to care for their children, play and entertain themselves with them, because of the symptoms of the disease and the associated malaise.3. The discovery of new aspects of self. Despite suffering, some women report a new, more positive and optimistic outlook: the illness forced them to discover a tenacity and strength they did not know they had. This path has enabled some to learn to distinguish what is really important in life, giving them a kind of existential “edge” in dealing with daily problems
Vulvodynia and psychological well-being: the importance of a multidisciplinary approach
In summary, the study shows how vulvodinia forces an arduous but necessary reconstruction of the self, moving from a feeling of mourning over the perception of a sick, imperfect, non-functioning body to the search for new forms of personal reconstruction.
The authors of the research, noting the results that confirm the strong psychological impact of vulvodinia, reiterated the need for a multidisciplinary approach to such a complex pathology, as well as for targeted and timely psychological interventions, involving when possible and if necessary partners as well, to combat the sense of isolation and frustration experienced by women, both before and after diagnosis.