title: Vulvodynia and HIV: causal or casual association?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  No study exists on HIV and vulvodynia.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate vulvodynia in HIV infected women and its possible association with HIV.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross sectional study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, Section of Infectious Diseases, University of Turin.
  
  
  METHODS
  235 HIV positive and 272 HIV negative women were studied for vulvar pain between June 1995 and January 1997. Diagnosis of vulvodynia was based on clinical history, dermatological and vulvovaginal examination, and bacteriology. Colposcopy and vulvar biopsy were performed and psychometric examination was done.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Vulvodynia was diagnosed in five women with HIV and in one uninfected woman (odds ratio = 2.5; 95% confidence interval: 0.1-62.6). High neuroticism scores were observed in women with history of vulvar pain, the highest in HIV infected vulvodynia patients (p = 0.000).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Confirming the association of gynaecological pain with neurotic personality, our study suggests causal link between HIV and vulvodynia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Turin, Italy.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Raiteri
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sinicco
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pippione
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tomasini
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Solaroli
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Vitale
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Morticelli
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gioannini
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000209:etiology; D004414:Dyspareunia / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D010146:Pain / Q000209:etiology; D059408:Pain Management; D012735:Sexual Dysfunction, Physiological / Q000523:psychology; D014845:Vulvar Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy