Pleasure despite pain: Associations between experiences of vulvar pleasure, vulvar pain, and sexual function in patients with chronic vulvar pain conditions.

Background: Chronic pain can occur in the vulva, one of the primary pleasure centers of the body; however, the associations between pleasurable vulvar experiences and chronic vulvar pain have not yet been explored.

Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate associations between vulvar pleasure and pain experiences in patients with chronic vulvar pain.

Methods: This was a prospective cross-sectional study of 547 patients (aged ≥17 years) presenting over 10 months to 2 urban outpatient gynecology clinics specializing in vulvar pain.