Providing information for women who suffer from vulval pain, and their partners

Petition launched to get pelvic pain included in UK medical student curriculum

The VPS has been asked to pass on details of an online petition to get pelvic pain included in the UK university curriculum for all medical students. You can read more about the petition here:

https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/128528

The VPS is a charity aiming to educate the public about vulval pain as well as provide help and advice to sufferers. We therefore support any initiatives to help increase the knowledge, skills and competencies of all health professionals, including medical students, in improving the assessment and management of chronic pelvic (including vulval) pain. Pelvic pain conditions are poorly managed and have a major impact on patients' quality of life, everyday functioning and reproductive health. It is vital that we invest in the education of our future workforce in the field of pelvic pain if we are to improve treatment and support available to all those living with pelvic pain conditions. 

New Facebook group for male partners of vulvodynia sufferers

Partners of Vulvodynia is a new Facebook group for men whose partners suffer from vulval pain. They say 'This group has been set up for men whose partners are suffering from vulvodynia. It's important that we offer support and help raise awareness around this rare condition'.

To join the group, sign up with Facebook if you need to, then just follow the above link to the group page and follow the instructions on the page.

New vulval pain support group on Facebook

Pudendal Neuralgia and Vulvodynia UK have asked us to post a link to a transitional Facebook group which allows ladies to join their full secret Facebook group once the administrator of the group has had contact with them. As the official group's members want it to remain secret, we can't provide details here, but if you follow the above link to the group and (if necessary) sign up with Facebook, you can contact the administrator for details on how to join the group itself.

Manchester Vulval Support Network: meeting on Thursday 15 September 2016, 7.00 pm

Read the text-only version of this flyer for the Manchester Vulval Support Network meeting

Participate in an online study for women with symptoms of vulval pain (Queen's University, Canada)

The Sexual Health Research Laboratory at Queen's University in Canada are looking for women aged between 40 and 55 to take part in an online study on vulval pain. The study will involve completing online questionnaires to assess symptoms, psychological and social wellbeing, healthcare experiences and sexual and relationship functioning.

You can access the study directly at violet.sexlab.ca.

Find out more about this online study or visit our Current research page to see other studies in which you can take part.

NEW - Transcript and references now available for VPS Podcast 4 - Physiotherapy treatment for vulval pain

You can now read the transcript for VPS Podcast 4, which is Women's Health physiotherapist Helen Forth's podcast on physiotherapy for vulval pain, at Transcript of VPS Podcast 4 - Physiotherapy treatment for vulval pain: a presentation given by Helen Forth.

We've also posted a full list of the references Helen uses in her presentation at References for VPS Podcast 4 - Physiotherapy for vulval pain: a presentation given by Helen Forth. The original video presentation itself and MP3 audio recording are of course still available on our Listen and watch page.

The Vulval Pain Society Handbook (4th edition)

The VPS publishes its own detailed handbook covering most aspects of vulval pain, including strategies for treatment and management. Aimed at both patients and clinicians, the book includes chapters written by healthcare professionals with a specialist interest in vulval pain, plus some patient perspectives.

Read more: The Vulval Pain Society Handbook (4th edition)

BBC Radio 1 Newsbeat vulval pain feature - website item

Here's a link to the BBC website item on vulvodynia written to accompany the BBC Radio 1 item on vulval pain which is on air today.  For details of the radio item itself, see BBC Radio 1 Newsbeat - feature on vulval pain.