Pathetic Example of Ignorance

[Guest guest]

Ladies:

Tonight at Borders book store, I picked up a copy of a book called

Current Obstetric and Gynecologic Diagnosis and Treatment, 8th Edition.

I looked in the index and was excited to see vulvar vestibulitis and

vulvodynnia listed. I decided to check it out a little further. To my

HORROR, it presents a surprisingly limited explanation of vulvar

vestibulitis and the treatment that it suggests is extraordinarily

narrow in scope and disturbingly pro-surgery. I copied it down and

thought I'd share the excerpt with you. It follows as an exact quote

below:

Page 79

Vulvar Vestibulitis

Treatment:

" Initial treatment is with biweekly bichloracetic acid four times

followed by six weeks observation. If the condition is not cleared,

then vestibulectomy is recommended. It is important to remove the

posterior hymenal ring and mobilized the posterior vagina to bring it

out to the perineal skin. Deep disection and fine suture material

insure the best possible results. The patient should be cautioned that

surgery is only 80% effective. "

This is the extent of their description of vulvodynia. Again, it is

very limited and narrow-minded in treatment approach:

Vulvodynia

" Diffuse vulvar burning or pain without visible evidence of any

abnormality of the epithelium has been called essential vulvodynia.

Similar findings can follow surgery to the vulva, laser therapy, or

chronic inflammation. This condition appears to be a peripheral

neuralgia and in many cases responds to a short course of tricyclic

antidepressants. "

Ok - the copyright on the book is 1994. I would like to point out that

in 1987 Friedrich identified the criteria necessary for the diagnosis of

vulvar vestibulitis syndrome. They don't even bother including this in

their explanation. Pathetic.

Needless to say, I plan on writing them. Don't know if it'll get me

very far - but I'd like to point out that this is the kind of book that

OB/GYN's have sitting on their bookshelves. This is the kind of crap

that they read when they hear us talk about vulvar vestibulitis and want

to find out more. We HAVE to do something about this. We HAVE to

become proactive and start working hard on getting the word out. Let's

put our heads together and start thinking up more ways to accomplish

this.

*stepping off soapbox*

Heidi