| VULVODYNIA SUPPORT NETWORK WELLINGTON, NEW ZEALAND |
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| Welcome to our homepage! Please note that this site is no longer being updated, we do welcome your email enquiries though. ...last updated 26 April 2002... . |
| Our Mission: To assist New Zealand women in accessing resources and information to help them to find the support theyneed to deal with and overcome vulvar pain. |
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| .What is vulvodynia? A variety of symptoms are associated with what is known as “vulvodynia.” Translated from its Greek roots, vulvodynia means “vulvar pain.” It has come to refer to a specific type of vulvar pain. Women with this condition can have a number of symptoms; generalized vulvar skin pain and discomfort, including pain and/or itching, stinging, parchedness, drying, swelling, and drawing sensations all over the vulvar skin, or only certain parts of it, as well as in the rectal, or anal skin. Vestibulitis is one particular type of vulvar pain. The term refers to pain is in the “vestibule,” or entrance to the vagina. The vestibule is an oval-shaped area that goes from the back of the vaginal opening to just below the clitoris and includes the vaginal and urethral openings. Some, but not all, women with vestibulitis experience painful sex (dyspareunia). The pain may be felt only with sexual intercourse, on inserting or tolerating tampons, and/or on sitting. Usually, the pain comes from inflammation in the glands around the opening of the vagina. Many women with vestibulitis experience a deep, boring or piercing pain in the vestibular glands, and sometimes random stabbing pains. Reprinted from The Vulvar Pain Newsletter Spring 1993, Number 1 Please note: Information contained in this site does not necessarily have scientific backing and it is probably a good idea to check with a medical professional before starting any treatments. |
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| NEWS! Information on common treatments (Thanks to Rebecca Randerson, Wellington GP) Information Package Available Many women have written to us requesting information. The Wellington Sexual Health clinic has an information package that they can send out to women. It contains tips, a flowchart listing the treatment options and an information sheet. Please contact them on (04) 385 9879 or sexualhealth@wipa.org.nz. You can also make an appointment to speak to a nurse or counsellor who are knowledgeable abdout vulvodynia and the impacts it has on women's lives. (Note, they only send within NZ!) Counsellor Available Marion Wade has worked with many women who have vulvodynia and can be contacted at her private practice in Wellington (04) 385 0094. Lichen Sclerosis If you have vulvar pain, you may suffer from lichen sclerosis. LS is a sometimes painful skin disease that affects the vulval area in women and we there are a few kiwis on the support list. Send an email to lichensclerosis@yahoogroups.com More information on LS can be found at http://members.tripod.com/~shanmd/links.html and http://www.lichensclerosus.org EMAIL GROUP!!! Do you want to communicate directly with other New Zealand women with vulvodynia??? Share information? Read about treatments others are trying???... A page has been set up at Yahoo! Groups, a free, easy-to-use email group service. To learn more about this group, please visit http://groups.yahoo.com/group/wellingtonbvs To start sending messages to members of this group, simply send an email to wellingtonbvs@yahoogroups.com |