In primo piano

La qualità di vita nelle donne con vulvodinia: uno studio trasversale

Redazione 31 Agosto 2026

Federica Zamengo 1, Giorgio Bergesio 2, Carmen Samà 3,*

1 RN, SS Long-term care, Cardinal Massaia Hospital, Asti, Italy – 2 RN, MSN Contract professor Nursing Degree University of Turin, Italy – 3 RN, SC Orthopedics and Traumatology, Cardinal Massaia Hospital, Asti, Italy

*Corresponding author: Carmen Samà

Email: carmensama99@libero.it

Riassunto
Introduzione: La vulvodinia è una patologia cronica caratterizzata da dolore vulvare, che persiste per almeno tre mesi e che impatta la qualità di vita (QoL) a causa delle diverse manifestazioni quali dispareunia, bruciore, prurito ed altre ancora. Per la diagnosi è raccomandata l’esecuzione del cotton swab test. Gli approcci terapeutici variano da quello farmacologico a quello fisioterapico fino alla chirurgia. Materiali e metodi: Lo studio osservazionale, condotto da marzo a giugno 2025, ha coinvolto 406 donne affette da vulvodinia. Per la valutazione QoL sono state utilizzate la versione italiana della World Health Organization Quality of life–breve e la scala analogica visiva del dolore. Per tutte le analisi inferenziali, il livello di significatività è stato prefissato in alpha=0,05. Risultati: Il trattamento maggiormente effettuato è stato quello farmacologico che aveva ridotto i sintomi nella maggior parte dei casi. Le donne che avevano intrapreso un trattamento fisioterapico o farmacologico riportavano una QoL superiore. Il peggioramento della QoL era dovuto ad una minore soddisfazione sessuale. Discussione: La vulvodinia incide in modo significativo su diversi aspetti della vita quotidiana delle donne, influenzando il benessere fisico, psicologico e sociale. L’approccio personalizzato e multidisciplinare si rivela fondamentale.
Parole chiave: vulvodinia, qualità di vita, pavimento pelvico, trattamento.

The Quality of Life in women affected by vulvodynia: a cross-sectional study

Abstract
Introduction: Vulvodynia is a chronic condition characterized by pain in the vulvar area, persisting for at least three months. The pain significantly impacts quality of life (QoL) due to its various manifestations, including dyspareunia, burning, itching and and many others. The cotton swab test is recommended for diagnosis. Therapeutic approaches range from pharmacological and physiotherapeutic treatments to surgery. Materials and methods: This observational study, conducted between March and June 2025, involved 406 women affected by vulvodynia. To assess quality of life, the Italian version of the World Health Organization Quality of Life – Bref and the Visual Analogue Scale for pain were used. For all inferential analyses, the significance level was set at alpha = 0.05. Results: The most commonly used treatment was pharmacological, which led to symptom reduction in most cases. Women who received either physiotherapy or pharmacological treatment reported, on average, higher QoL scores in all domains analyzed. The primary factor contributing to decreased QoL was reduced sexual satisfaction. Discussion: Vulvodynia significantly affects multiple aspects of women’s daily lives, impacting physical, psychological, and social well-being. A personalized and multidisciplinary approach is crucial to address the impact of vulvodynia.
Keywords: vulvodynia, quality of life, pelvic floor, treatment.

Clicca qui per il login utenti registrati
Clicca qui per registrarti

Contenuto disponibile solo per utenti registrati, registrati per accedere a tutti i contenuti

Bibliografia 

  1. Santangelo G, Ruggiero G, Murina F, et al. Vulvodynia: A practical guide in treatment strategies. Int J Gynaecol Obstet. 2023;163(2):510-20.
  2. Schlaeger JM, Glayzer JE, Villegas-Downs M, et al. Evaluation and Treatment of Vulvodynia: State of the Science. J Midwifery Womens Health. 2023;68(1):9-34.
  3. Patla G, Mazur-Bialy AI, Humaj-Grysztar M, Bonior J. Chronic Vulvar Pain and Health-Related Quality of Life in Women with Vulvodynia. Life (Basel). 2023;13(2):328.
  4. Pukall CF, Goldstein AT, Bergeron S, et al. Vulvodynia: Definition, Prevalence, Impact, and Pathophysiological Factors. J Sex Med. 2016;13(3):291-304.
  5. Cooperberg, M R., Stoller, M L., Raz S, & Rodriquez L V. Posterior tibial nerve stimulation for pelvic floor dysfunction. Female urology. 2008;277-83.
  6. Goldstein AT, Pukall CF, Brown C, Bergeron S, Stein A, Kellogg-Spadt S. Vulvodynia: Assessment and Treatment. J Sex Med. 2016;13(4):572-90.
  7. Heller GZ, Manuguerra M, Chow R. How to analyze the Visual Analogue Scale: Myths, truths and clinical relevance. Scand J Pain. 2016; 13:67-75.
  8. Reed BD, Harlow SD, Sen A, Edwards RM, Chen D, Haefner HK. Relationship between vulvodynia and chronic comorbid pain conditions. Obstet Gynecol. 2012;120(1):145-51.
  9. Dagostin Ferraz S, Rodrigues Candido AC, Rodrigues Uggioni ML, Colonetti T, Santina Dagostin V, Rosa MI. Assessment of anxiety, depression and somatization in women with vulvodynia: A systematic review and META-analysis. J Affect Disord. 2024; 344:122-31.
  10. Cheng Y, Chen Y, Zhao X, et al. The antidepressants and sexual dysfunction: a pharmacovigilance-pharmacodynamic study of the FDA adverse event reporting system. Expert Opin Drug Saf. 2024.
  11. Sung SC, Jeng CJ, Lin YC. Sexual health care for women with dyspareunia. Taiwan J Obstet Gynecol. 2011;50(3):268-74.
  12. Xie Y, Shi L, Xiong X, Wu E, Veasley C, Dade C. Economic burden and quality of life of vulvodynia in the United States. Curr Med Res Opin. 2012;28(4):601–8.