Centering Women of Color: Chronic Vulvovaginal Pain (CVVP) Communication

Olivia R. Adams (), Amanda N. Gesselman and Margaret Bennett-Brown
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Olivia R. Adams: Department of Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
Amanda N. Gesselman: The Kinsey Institute, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
Margaret Bennett-Brown: The Kinsey Institute, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA

Social Sciences, 2024, vol. 13, issue 5, 1-20

Abstract: Background: Black and white women describe their chronic vulvar pain (CVVP) symptoms differently, indicating a patient–provider communication deficit. This may contribute to the diagnostic delay commonly reported by patients with CVVP and/or pelvic pain. Methods: A pilot study demonstrated CVVP terminology differences between women of color and white women. The present study ( N = 488) includes a sample of predominantly cisgender women who identified their race/ethnicity as Black, Hispanic/Latinx, Native American/American Indian, and/or Asian. Participants reported how they describe their CVVP, their healthcare experiences, and characteristics of their diagnostic journey. Results: Descriptions of CVVP were not uniform. Instead, there was great variability in how women described their pain across racial/ethnic identities and pain contexts (e.g., sexual activity, menstrual product use, and pelvic exam). Some pain experiences and descriptors were associated with healthcare outcomes related to diagnostic delay. Conclusions: This study sheds light on the pain communication experiences of women of color with CVVP, an understudied population within the broader CVVP literature. By resisting white and non-white comparative methodologies, this study demonstrates the applicability of intersectionality principles to the study of CVVP and contributes to the existing literature regarding pain communication, race, and ethnicity.

Keywords: chronic vulvovaginal pain; pain communication; race; ethnicity; women’s health; intersectionality (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: A B N P Y80 Z00 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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