| VULVODYNIA SUPPORT NETWORK WELLINGTON, NEW ZEALAND |
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| 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. |
| Personal Stories Jo, age 26 I thought I first began to notice symptoms when I was about 18, but looking back, it may have been earlier than that. I had struggled with what doctors assumed was thrush (sore, red, swollen) and would spend hundreds of dollars on treatments only to find no difference. This was explained to me by “Well, your body has become immune to the treatment” so I’d try another more powerful (and more expensive!) treatment. The same result. I’ve had every STD test under the sun. They always came back negative, not even showing thrush. I began to wonder if it was all in my head. I had previously enjoyed a healthy sex life, I even had a good libido. This began to change as the swelling and pain during intercourse became more apparent. I would end up regretting being intimate which is a strain on your relationship not to mention your self-esteem. I went to the Wellington sexual health centre to a doctor who specialised in vulval problems. He mentioned that my muscles involuntarily pushed back when the opening to the vagina was touched. Other than that I was given some ‘numbing gel’ for the area, and that was that. Fortunately there was a nurse in the room who suggested I read an article about vestibulitis. Thank goodness she did! When I read it, I instantly knew that what was being described on the pages was what I had. I felt such a sense of relief that it wasn’t ‘all in my head’ and better yet I now had a name for it. I immediately took the article home to show my family and partner. Some were sceptical at first not having heard of it before, but they still supported me. I believe that this condition is related to stress. I have always been a worry-wort and a reasonably intense person. It has been seven years now and my health has never been consistent. I have tried all manner of treatments but finally decided that I almost have to be friends with this problem. After all, it serves me in many ways. I doubt I would have found a wonderful man who wants to marry me had I based the relationship on sex as I had done with previous relationships. I am confident that I will not have this problem all my life and I look forward to seeing the effect that having children has on my condition, as this is something I look forward to doing soon. There are worse things that I could have and although this condition can get you really low (I know, I’ve been there) it’s important not to fixate on it. As my fiancé says, “It’s only sex” and I know that our marriage will be strong because it is based so solidly on friendship, support and good conversation. |