Your visit to the gynecologist has ended with you thinking that you’re crazy. You’ve got vaginal burning, pain, and rawness that won’t go away. Your genital area may be red and irritated looking. Your doctor has said that there is no infection, nor any other disease that is causing the problem. You’ve tried creams, over-the-counter yeast infection treatments, and every other itching treatment available. It’s not in your head; you are not losing your mind. It could be vulvodynia.

As Awareness Grows, So does Diagnosis and Treatments:Vulvar vestibulitis syndrome (VVS) is a subset of vulvodynia that is characterized by severe pain during attempted vaginal penetration to pressure localized to the vulvar vestibule (see diagram), and redness(erythema) of the vulvar vestibule. A subset of vulvar vestibulitis is called vestibulodynia, which combines the three symptoms with constant pain at the vestibule. Increased awareness of VVS has led to exciting new research. This review will examine current concepts regarding the diagnosis, etiology, and treatment of VVS.

U.S. survey finds two-thirds have had sex-related stress, anxiety.

THURSDAY, June 25 (HealthDay News) -- A new survey finds that 70 percent of American women have experienced a sexual health issue, and 22 percent felt very or extremely concerned about it.

1. What is sexual medicine? 

Sexual medicine means different things to different people. To some it conjures up images of intense therapy sessions delving into your sexual past and upbringing, whereas to other individuals it represents a complete medicalized approach to sexuality. Others still take the approach of a comprehensive yet dynamic definition.
 

A less expensive version of the female condom (FC) was recently approved by the FDA. Will this increase the use of this contraceptive form, which offers several important benefits for women?

Male condoms have played an important role in global HIV prevention over the past few decades. In recent years, women have become increasingly vulnerable to HIV, especially in highly afflicted sub-Saharan Africa. Since women are not always able to insist on the use of male condoms, there is a great global need for affordable and accessible woman-controlled barrier methods that provide dual protection against unintended pregnancy and the transmission of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including HIV/AIDS.

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