Many women with vulvar disease characterized by vaginal itching worsen their problems with self-treatment and undesired sexual intercourse, finds an Australian study.
Dr. Graeme J. Dennerstein at Mercy Hospital for Women and the University of Queensland studied 530 women at a special clinic for vulvar disease. Most women complained of vaginal itching and many experienced painful intercourse, as well as frequent burning and soreness.
Dr. Dennerstein and his colleagues' findings, published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, implicate several factors. To begin with, "damaging hygiene," such as cleaning with irritating agents or using "excessive friction," can cause a relatively minor problem to become a chronic condition.
The authors note that "self-medication with the use of previously prescribed or over-the-counter preparations without reporting to a doctor was the second mistake often made." A surprising 49 percent of women reported engaging in undesired sexual intercourse.
The reasons women gave for this behavior included timidity or lack of assertiveness (46 percent), feeling guilty if they refused (32 percent), or habitual passive compliance, study authors write.
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