Presenting Symptoms Among Black and White Women with Provoked Vulvodynia.
BACKGROUND
The prevalence of vulvodynia has been reported to be lower in black compared to white and Latina women. Use of different terminology to describe vulvar pain symptoms may play a role in lower prevalence. The objectives were to compare pain descriptors used by black and white women with provoked vulvodynia (PVD) to determine the effect of race on symptom reporting.


METHODS
Ninety-two women, self-identified as black (n = 55) and white (n = 37) with clinically confirmed PVD completed a questionnaire containing demographic information and vulvar pain characteristics. Variables that were significant with race retained in the logistic regression model were included in multivariate analysis to determine the effect of race on reporting of vulvar pain symptoms.


RESULTS
Of statistical significance, white women more often described their pain as burning as compared with black women (84% vs. 22%, p ≤ 0.0001). White women more frequently reported their pain as stinging (51% vs. 29%, p = 0.03) and itching (32% vs. 15%, p = 0.04) as well, whereas there was a trend for black women to more often describe their pain as aching (67% vs. 49%, p = 0.07). Overall, white women were 19 times as likely to report their pain as burning (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 18.51, 99% confidence interval [CI] 4.46-76.86).


CONCLUSIONS
These data suggest that black women are less likely to self-report their vulvar pain as burning, the classic symptom of PVD. Cultural influences and different underlying pain mechanisms may contribute to differences in symptom reporting by race.
1 Department of Clinical Pharmacy, University of Tennessee Health Science Center , Memphis, Tennessee.
Candace S
CS
Brown
2 Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Strong Memorial Hospital, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry , Rochester, New York.
Davis C
DC
Foster
1 Department of Clinical Pharmacy, University of Tennessee Health Science Center , Memphis, Tennessee.
Candi C
CC
Bachour
1 Department of Clinical Pharmacy, University of Tennessee Health Science Center , Memphis, Tennessee.
Leslie A
LA
Rawlinson
3 Department of Preventive Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Science Center , Memphis, Tennessee.
Jim Y
JY
Wan
4 Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Science, Rutgers-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School , New Brunswick, New Jersey.
Gloria Ann
GA
Bachmann
D000328:Adult; D044383:Black People; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D010147:Pain Measurement; D017699:Pelvic Pain; D057566:Self Report; D014481:United States / Q000208:ethnology; D056650:Vulvodynia / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000473:pathology*; D044465:White People; D055815:Young Adult; D001741:Black or African American