title: Differences in pain subtypes between Hispanic and non-Hispanic white women with chronic vulvar pain.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Compared with non-Hispanic Whites, Hispanic women have significantly higher prevalence of chronic vulvar pain (CVP), which is known to have heterogeneous subtypes. However, it is not known whether subtypes differ by ethnicity, and improved understanding of subtypes may allow for targeted clinical assessment and therapies. We examined subtypes to determine whether they differed by ethnicity.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were from 1,551 women who reported chronic vulvar pain consistent with vulvodynia in a population-based, cross-sectional study of women from the Minneapolis/St. Paul metropolitan area, during the years 2010-2013, who returned a validated screener survey about vulvar pain.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among women with CVP, Hispanics reported more primary vulvodynia (adjusted [adj.] risk ratio=1.47; p<0.01), defined as pain with first intercourse or tampon use, and tended to be more likely to describe a burning pain (adj. risk ratio=1.45; p=0.06). Hispanic women with CVP were 17% more likely than non-Hispanic Whites with CVP to have their pain alleviated with some type of behavior/remedy (p=0.01); for example, among the subgroup of women with CVP who used yeast cream, Hispanics more often reported benefit to their pain (adj. risk ratio=1.51; p<0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We examined women with CVP and found that in comparison to their non-Hispanic White counterparts, Hispanic women are more likely to report a burning sensation and more likely to have primary vulvodynia, a subtype that is associated with great burden on the lives of affected women.
authors.affiliation: Division of Epidemiology & Community Health, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota , Minneapolis, Minnesota.
authors.forename: Ruby H N
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Nguyen
authors.forename: Robyn L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Reese
authors.forename: Bernard L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Harlow
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D059350:Chronic Pain / Q000208:ethnology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008910:Minnesota / Q000453:epidemiology; D017699:Pelvic Pain / Q000208:ethnology; D011159:Population Surveillance; D015995:Prevalence; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014505:Urban Population; D056650:Vulvodynia / Q000208:ethnology*; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055815:Young Adult