Welcome to the Vulval Pain Society, a UK registered charity supporting vulval pain sufferers.

Our aims are:

  • To promote and protect the physical and mental health of sufferers of vulval pain through the provision of support, education and practical advice

  • To advance the education of the general public in all areas relating to vulval pain

We offer advice and information on all vulval pain matters. You can read detailed information about vulvodynia, vestibulodynia (previously known as vulval vestibulitis), lichen sclerosus, and other vulval pain conditions. We also have information on sex and vulval pain, pregnancy and vulval pain, and other general good advice.

Find out more about us.

Participants needed for study examining shared decision making in chronic pain (University of the West of Scotland, Paisley, Scotland, UK)

PhD student Abbie McGuire is currently recruiting for her questionnaire study and needs individuals who experience chronic pain (exceeding 12 weeks even with treatment). Abbie's work is examining the ways shared decision making may help individuals with chronic pain. Her survey will take 30-40 minutes to complete but does not have to be done in one sitting.

For further details about the study, please see our Current research page.

Participants needed for study looking at the impact of vulval pain conditions on women's sense of gender, health and wellbeing (University College London, London, UK)

A final year undergraduate student from University College London is looking to interview people who support women with vulval pain for an anthropology research project. The study will be looking at vulval pain conditions and how they impact upon women's sense of gender, health and wellbeing.

For further details about the study, please see our Current research page.

Welsh Marches Vulval Pain Support Group - notice of new address

Please note that the Welsh Marches Vulval Pain Support Group, which covers the areas of East Wales, Cheshire, Shropshire and Hereford, now has a new address.

The administrator for the group has asked us to pass on the following information:

'The Welsh Marches Vulval Pain Support Group is now much easier to join - simply go to https://groups.io/g/wmvpsg.

I look forward to accepting your requests to join.'

Participants needed for study exploring the physical and psychological experiences and sexual function of women with vulvodynia (King's College London, London, UK)

Vulvodynia can have a big impact on a person’s life. It can affect the way women think and feel and the activities they do.

King's College London are looking for participants in an online questionnaire-based study whose purpose will be to explore the psychological experience, pain experience and sexual function of women with vulvodynia.

In order to participate in this study you will need to have a diagnosis of vulvodynia by a health professional, be 18 years or older and not be currently pregnant.

Full details of the study are given on our Current research page.

Participants needed for study to develop practitioner guidelines on communication about the psychological aspects of vulvodynia (University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK)

The University of Nottingham are looking for participants for a study which is aimed at understanding the views of women and practitioners on communicating about the psychological aspects and impact of vulvodynia, and then producing guidelines to support practitioners in this communication.

To participate in the study, you should either be a patient with a diagnosis of vulvodynia, or a practitioner who works with women with vulvodynia, either in the management of the condition or by referring on to specialist services.

For full details of the study, please see our Current research page.

Guardian article on vulvodynia

The VPS has contributed to and features in an article on vulvodynia in UK newspaper The Guardian. The article is included in today's printed edition of the paper (22 August 2019), or you can read it on The Guardian's website.