This is the question I receive 99.99% of the time I talk about my project. So if you have never heard of it, no worries, this is exactly why I started the project!

Between 1 in 10 are estimated to have Vulvodynia, chronic vulvar pain without identifiable cause, that lasts longer than three months within their lifetime. The National Vulvodynia Association estimates that more than 14 million women are affected in the US alone. Despite the prevalence, nearly 50% of women affected open up to their doctors about their pain due to reasons like stigma, shame, or normalization of women’s pain. If they do a marathon of doctors’ visits begins, and more than 1/3 of women must see 15 or more doctors to receive a diagnosis, not to speak of treatment. 

The condition has significant implications on women’s quality of life, through the pain itself as well as the stigma around it. Women affected may experience vulvodynia through pain with intercourse, but also beyond, while wearing jeans, biking, or sitting for extended periods. Additionally, the condition majorly impacts women’s quality of life and mental health. Women report missing on average more than 18 social activities within 6 months, and 41% feel depressed. 

Research and medical training fall short. In a US study, 96% of medical residents did not feel adequately educated on this topic. Many women report experiences of medical gaslighting in a recent study: 40% of women with those disorders are not taken seriously or believed by their healthcare professionals, and 20% of women are told by their doctors to just drink alcohol to relax.

The result is millions of women suffering in silence. Many women endure painful intercourse out of feelings like shame and guilt, without opening up to their partners about their pain. The emotional toll includes anxiety, isolation, and a sense of brokenness.