OUR ISSUES

Our community organizing work is centered around four key issue areas:

Epidemiologist Dr. Bernard Harlow, at Boston University, describes the prevalence of chronic vulvovaginal pain as a public health crisis. His research shows that only 50% of those who suffer from vulvovaginal pain seek treatment, since many do not know where to turn for help and support.

Vulvovaginal pain is prevalent in people of all racial and ethnic backgrounds, yet limited access to healthcare information, resources, and providers make it difficult for people to find care, leading many low-income patients and patients of color to live in pain and silence without diagnosis or treatment. Those who have the privilege, financial means, and geographic access to seek medical treatment often encounter medical providers who minimize the seriousness of their pain, discount their symptoms as “all in their head,” and lack the training to properly diagnose and treat their condition.

The research landscape is similarly dire: the NIH allocates just thirty-three cents for every patient, far lower than typical research dollars for similarly prevalent conditions. There are also psychological consequences to the lack of research funding and medical training on these conditions; many vulvovaginal pain patients develop anxiety and depression as a result not only of their pain, but also from the experience of being passed from doctor to doctor and the lack of effective treatment options. The medical system mirrors a wider problem: we, as a society, don’t see vulvovaginal pain as real or deserving of research, care, and attention.