Pain Ratings, Sensory Thresholds, and Psychosocial Functioning in Women with Provoked Vestibulodynia

Psychosocial and psychophysical functioning in 25 women with and 25 without provoked vestibulodynia (PVD) were examined. Participants underwent quantitative sensory testing and completed psychosocial measures. Women with PVD displayed lower pain thresholds, higher pain ratings, lower sexual functioning and sexual self-efficacy, and higher levels of somatization and catastrophization than controls. Lower psychosocial functioning correlated with decreased vulvar pressure-pain threshold and increased cotton-swab test pain ratings. For PVD women, decreased sexual function and sexual self-efficacy were associated with higher vulvar pressure-pain ratings. Findings suggest that women with PVD would benefit from treatment that addresses pain-focused and psychosocial components.