Vulvodynia Resources

• The American Academy of Family Physicians provides information on vulvar cancer  (en Español) .
• The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists offers FAQs on Vulvodynia and on Disorders of the Vulva .
  • Patient education pamphlet en Español—Vulvodinia
• The National Library of Medicine's Medline Plus page Vulvodynia includes basic information and links to additional resources (en Español).
• The National Vulvodynia Association maintains resources for women with vulvodynia, family members, friends, and health care providers.
  • What is Vulvodynia? describes vulvodynia and its two main subtypes.
  • Find a support group .
• The Vulvar Pain Foundation  was started in 1992 to end the isolation of women suffering from vulvar pain and related disorders to inform them about cutting-edge scientific research. The foundation issues a regular newsletter.

Please note: Links to organizations and information included on these pages do not indicate endorsement from NICHD, NIH, or HHS.

• NIH Research Plan on Vulvodynia
  This plan, developed by NICHD in collaboration with other NIH ICs, private organizations, and researchers, details an agenda for research needed to answer questions and fill knowledge gaps about vulvodynia.
• Active Funding Opportunity Announcements
  In 2016, NICHD reissued funding opportunity announcements that are designed to stimulate new research applications in the exploration of etiology, prevention, diagnosis, and therapeutics in the field of vulvodynia. Learn more about the funding opportunities at
  http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-16-102.html,
  http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-16-101.html, and
  http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-16-100.html.

• Vulvodynia: A Chronic Pain Condition—Setting a Research Agenda
  NICHD and the NIH Office of Research on Women's Health sponsored this meeting in July 2011 to explore promising research areas related to vulvodynia. This meeting was a key component in the process of developing the NIH Research Plan on Vulvodynia. Read a spotlight about the meeting.
• The NIH Pain Consortium
  The Consortium works to promote pain research as well as collaboration among researchers across NIH Institutes and Centers that address pain.
• Vulvodynia Consensus Panel Statement
  This 2006 paper describes the findings and recommendations of a vulvodynia consensus conference panel comprised of NIH researchers and other scientists.
• American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists Committee Opinion on Vulvodynia  (PDF - 242 KB)
  This opinion, reaffirmed in 2015, provides information on the diagnosis and treatment of vulvodynia.
• Vulvodynia Guideline
  This literature review, explaining vulvar pain and treatments for it, was published in the Journal of Lower Genital Tract Disease in 2005 and updated in 2013.
• The International Society for the Study of Vulvovaginal Disease (ISSVD)
  ISSVD promotes international communication among gynecologists and other health care providers to advance research and disseminate knowledge related to vulvovaginal disease.
• Vulvodynia: Integrating Current Knowledge into Clinical Practice
  This 2016 National Vulvodynia Association tutorial is designed for physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and nurses interested in the diagnosis and treatment of vulvodynia.
• Vulvodynia Diagnosis and Management
  The American Academy of Family Physicians provides these clinical recommendations on diagnosis and treatment of vulvodynia.

Please note: Links to organizations and information included on these pages do not indicate endorsement from NICHD, NIH, or HHS.