Talking About Vulvar Health

Military Women Echo Concerns, Troubles Of Civilian Women

Many women delay seeking medical treatments for vaginal and vulvar problems because they are embarrassed to talk about their symptoms. This under-reporting of vulvar symptoms leads to uncertain prevalence rates of vulvar disorders such as lichen sclerosus and can mean damaging delays in cases that turn out to be vulvar cancer.

Civilian women may also lack confidence in their doctors' ability to correctly diagnose and treat vulvar problems. Medical reports have shown that vulvar cancer diagnoses are often delayed in spite of the fact that these women often have histories of vulvar problems and have visitied several doctors to find help for such symptoms.

Lichen sclerosus, a chronic skin disorder that usually affects the vulvar skin, is frequently misdiagnosed as being a yeast infection or even herpes. When young girls have lichen sclerosus, they face an even worse misdiagnosis of being sexually abused.

But women can take control of their vulvar health by learning how to perform a vulvar self-exam. The importance of vulvar self-exams has been widely discussed in medical research literature but patients are rarely told this, possibly because physicians themselves face feelings of embarrassment in talking about the vulva.

"Teaching vulvar self-exams is free, requires no high-tech equipment and doesn't need to pass through an HMO," says Debby Herbenick, co-founder of Vulvar Health Awareness Month. "Performing regular vulvar self exams can lead to early detection of vulvar disorders, can save women from having to have their vulvas removed and can even save lives."

Vulvar self-exams should be performed monthly and women should look for any changes in appearance such as change in skin color, new freckles or moles, lumps, cuts, sores, inflammation or areas of itching.

While it is important for women to begin performing vulvar self-exams in adolescence, it is also important for adequate training in medical schools about vulvar disorders. It is time to Open the Curtains on the topic of vulvar health and talk to each other.

Vulvar Health Awareness Month will be celebrated in cities worldwide during March 2001. The Open the Curtains Campagin encourages discussion of vulvar health throughout the year, raised awareness of vulvar disorders and increased funding for related research.

VHAM is supported by the National Lichen Sclerosus Support Group, the Gynaecological Awareness Information Network, the National Eczema Society (UK), the British Society for the Study of Vulval Diseases, the Women's Dermatologic Society and the Vulval Pain Society.

Source: Debra Herbenick, Co-Founder, Vulvar Health Awareness Month

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