Nearly Half of Patients Seeking Vulvovaginal Disorder Care Report Negative Experiences
By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter
TUESDAY, May 13, 2025 -- Patients seeking care for vulvovaginal disorders report distress and gaslighting from past clinical experiences, according to a study published online May 8 in JAMA Network Open.
Chailee F. Moss, M.D., from the Centers for Vulvovaginal Disorders in Washington, D.C., and colleagues designed a patient-centered instrument and used it to conduct a survey of 447 patients treated at a vulvovaginal disorder referral clinic from August 2023 to February 2024 to assess patient experience.
The researchers found that a mean of 43.5 percent of patients reported that past practitioners were supportive, 26.6 percent were belittling, and 20.5 percent did not believe them. Roughly one in four patients (41.6 percent) were told they just needed to relax more, while 20.6 percent were advised to drink alcohol. Roughly half of patients (52.8 percent) considered ceasing care because their concerns were not addressed, while 20.6 percent were referred to psychiatry without medical treatment, 16.8 percent felt unsafe during a medical encounter, and 39.4 percent said they were made to feel crazy. Made to feel crazy was the most distressing surveyed behavior (rated at a mean of 7.39 of 10 on a numerical rating scale of distress). Qualitative themes included lack of clinician knowledge (247 quotations) and dismissive behaviors (211 quotations).
"There is an urgent need for education supporting a biopsychosocial, trauma-informed approach to vulvovaginal pain and continued development of validated instruments to quantify patient experiences," the authors write.
Several authors disclosed ties to the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries.
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted May 2025
Read this next
Alopecia Areata Associated With Severe Psychosocial Impact
THURSDAY, July 24, 2025 -- Alopecia areata (AA) has a severe psychosocial impact, which is linked to illness perceptions and stigma more strongly than disease severity, according...
Few School Principals Report District-Mandated Mental Health Screening
THURSDAY, July 24, 2025 -- Few school principals report district-mandated mental health screening in schools, according to a study published online July 18 in JAMA Network...
Cancer Anxiety Impacts Family Members of Those Diagnosed With Cancer
WEDNESDAY, July 23, 2025 -- A cancer diagnosis places an emotional burden on the loved ones of those diagnosed, according to the results of a survey released by the Ohio State...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.