National Vulvodynia Association

The mission of the National Vulvodynia Association (NVA), a non-profit created in 1994, is to help improve the health and quality of life of women suffering from vulvodynia, chronic vulvar pain without an identifiable cause. Subtypes of vulvodynia include provoked vestibulodynia,  generalized vulvodynia and clitorodynia. Many sufferers report vulvar burning and painful sexual intercourse.  To serve these women (and adolescents), NVA will:

• educate affected women about vulvodynia to enable them to make informed choices about their treatment
• encourage patients to develop self-help strategies to deal with the physical and emotional components of this disorder
• identify support groups
• involve and educate loved ones to promote a more supportive family environment
• coordinate a centralized source of information on suspected causes, current treatments, and ongoing research for health care practitioners and patients
• emphasize a coordinated interdisciplinary approach to patients’ medical care
• work cooperatively with other health organizations to improve our understanding of vulvodynia’s relationship to other disorders
• educate the public to bring attention to vulvodynia as a serious women’s health concern
• encourage further research to find more effective treatments and eventual cures for vulvodynia