Effects of sexual arousal on genital and non-genital sensation: a comparison of women with vulvar vestibulitis syndrome and healthy controls.

The relationship between sexual arousal and sensory perception has been a topic largely neglected within the realm of human sexuality research. The present study assessed the influence of sexual arousal on genital and non-genital sensation in women. It also examined the theory that painful intercourse is associated with insufficient sexual arousal.

When sex hurts, anxiety and fear orient attention towards pain.

Hypervigilance for pain-relevant stimuli has been associated with anxiety, fear of pain and anxiety sensitivity. This attentional bias has been primarily investigated in heterogeneous pain groups or pain-free controls, but has not been examined in pain conditions where anxiety and fear are likely to play a central role. Due to the intimate and interpersonal nature of genital pain experienced during sexual intercourse, Vulvar Vestibulitis Syndrome (VVS) constitutes an ideal sample in which to investigate the role of cognitive and affective factors in pain perception and maintenance.

Pain measurement in vulvodynia.

Current approaches to the conceptualization of vulvodynia focus either on issues of sexuality or underlying pathophysiology but tend to neglect the central symptom of pain. An adequate understanding of this condition will not be achieved, however, without examining all three factors and how they interact. A multiaxial pain approach has provided data regarding the intensity, location, temporal pattern, underlying system, and sensory quality of vulvodynic pain.

The female sexual pain disorders: genital pain or sexual dysfunction?

Vaginismus and dyspareunia have been typically classified as sexual dysfunctions. In practice and research, this conceptualization has led to a focus on sexual and interpersonal issues after biological causes were excluded. Although this approach has been very useful, it has not led to significant theoretical or therapeutic progress in the last 20 years.