Vulvodynia and Vestibulitis

Let's define some terms here - although if you are on this website you probably already know what vulvodynia and vestibulitis are. Vulvodynia translates from the Latin to vulvo meaning your vulva and dynia meaning pain. Simple enough. The next is a little more esoteric as it wasn't covered in 6th grade sex-ed and you probably have never seen your vestibule. Vestibulitis means vestibule, the entrance to your vagina and itis meaning irritation. Vestibulitis is a subset type of vulvodynia and a focus in this blog, although a lot of my advice fits with more generalized vulvodynia and related back and nerve pain. As a side note, in a church the vestibule is the entrance hall. A good, but sort of incongruous parallel ("my body is my temple, right?")

Vestibulitis is then talked about as "primary vestibulitis" or "secondary vestibulitis". I don't believe that these designations are noteworthy, except in defining who is being studied and in predicting recovery outcomes. The diagnosis of primary vestibulitis means that you have never had sex without pain. Secondary vestibulitis has an onset after you have had painless sex during your life. But in both cases, it's not all about sexual pain. Vestibulitis affects how you feel all the time. It burns. The treatments approaches for both are the same, but primary vestibulitis has a lower recovery rate.

I have primary vestibulitis and have had it for at least 14 years, but my guess is that I began having symptoms in high school, 24 years ago. I am not typical (in fact, I am extremely atypical) so don't despair. My experience is not going to be your experience. What I am is practiced in all the strategies to try. I have improved and hope you will too. Perhaps you will count your treatment by months and not by years.