Vulvodynia is chronic pain or discomfort of the vulva. Researchers and health care providers currently know little about why and how vulvodynia occurs—the condition and the pain have no known cause or cure. Therapies can help relieve symptoms of vulvodynia, but the condition can have some serious effects on women's reproductive health and day-to-day life. Understanding vulvodynia is an important part of NICHD's mission to improve women's quality of life.
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