Vulvar Health

By peace | November 1, 2006

The word “vulva” refers to the parts of a woman’s genitals that can be seen from the outside. The vulva includes the mons pubis, the labia majora, the labia minora, the clitoris and the vagina. It is thought that approximately 15% of women might experience vulvar pain, or Vulvodynia, at any given time but no one really knows. Similarly, there doesn’t seem to be a reliable rate of how often lichen sclerosus, a chronic inflammatory skin condition, occurs.

There is also strikingly little information available about causes and cures of vulvar disorders. Vulvodynia, lichen sclerosus and vaginismus all have unknown causes and unknown cures and most women never hear about these disorders until they happen to them personally.

Understanding Female Anatomy

Many women delay seeking medical treatments for vaginal and vulvar problems because they are embarrassed to talk about their symptoms. This under-reporting of vulvar symptoms leads to uncertain prevalence rates of vulvar disorders such as lichen sclerosus and can mean damaging delays in cases that turn out to be vulvar cancer.

Lichen sclerosus, a chronic skin disorder that usually affects the vulvar skin, is frequently misdiagnosed as being a yeast infection or even herpes. When young girls have lichen sclerosus, they face an even worse misdiagnosis of being sexually abused.

But women can take control of their vulvar health by learning how to perform a vulvar self-exam. The importance of vulvar self-exams has been widely discussed in medical research literature but patients are rarely told this, possibly because physicians themselves face feelings of embarrassment in talking about the vulva.

Women should perform vulvar self-examinations on a monthly basis, just as they would a breast self-examination. Some doctors suggest that women begin performing vulvar self-examinations when they become sexually active or beginning at the age of 18. It is important for women to learn early on what a “normal” vulva for them personally looks like, as vulvas can look very different from one woman to the next. If young women begin performing self-examinations early, they will be more aware if changes should occur.

Generally speaking, women should perform vulvar-self examinations in between menstrual periods. If a woman is no longer menstruating, she should choose a date each month that will help her remember when to perform her vulvar self-examination. Women should check for changes in appearance (such as the skin becoming white or reddened in areas; new freckles or moles), any lesions such as tiny cuts or sores, and any changes in feel (such as lumps, moles or cysts).

Some Vulvar Disorder/Disease
The appearance of the vulva changes with age, hormone status, and hygiene.
Symptoms related to vulvar disorders include pruritus, vulvodynia, superficial dyspareunia, or lesions that may be white, red, pigmented, raised, or ulcerated. These symptoms may be caused by infections, dermatologic disorders, or nonneoplastic or neoplastic vulvar diseases.

Click on the link below to learn about some vulvar disorders

Caring For Your Vulvar
Because the vulvar skin is sensitive, it is important to pay attention to its care to minimize risk of irritation. Some common measures of vulvar self-care include:

Washing the vulvar skin with water and one’s hand only - soaps can dry out or irritate the vulvar skin and a washcloth
Washing one’s undergarments with detergent made for babies or those with sensitive skin - and even running undergarments through a second rinse with water-only (no detergent at all)
Going without underwear when possible such as at night or even 24 hours per day- When underwear is worn, make sure that it is 100% cotton in all places
Avoiding fragranced products (such as perfumed shower gels) on the vulvar skin