A Population-Based Study of Pregnancy and Delivery Characteristics Among Women with Vulvodynia

Abstract

Introduction: To examine pregnancy and delivery characteristics of women with and without vulvodynia. Methods: The authors analyzed 227 vulvodynia cases that were less than 45 years old at pain onset; controls were age matched 1:1 to cases and had no history of vulvar pain. Pregnancy and delivery events were assessed after age at first vulvar pain onset (the reference age) in cases and a matched age in controls. Results: The authors observed no significant difference between cases and controls in achieving pregnancy after reference age. Also, no difference in pregnancy outcome was observed between cases and controls (P = 0.87). There was an indication that cases were more likely to receive a Cesarean section delivery (P = 0.07). In addition, 37.1% of cases who had vaginal delivery versus 11.3% of controls (P < 0.01) reported pain at 2 months postpartum. Comparing only women with vulvodynia, women who had intermittent pain versus constant pain were more than twice as likely to have a pregnancy (adjusted odds ratio 2.26, 95% CI 1.10–4.60). Conclusions: Women with vulvodynia may be as likely as other women to carry their pregnancy to birth; however, they may experience higher rates of Cesarean section delivery and could reflect a selection towards those women with vulvodynia who have inconsistent pain.