A study conducted by researchers from the Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar) found that 72.5% of young women young women suffer from vulvovaginal symptoms such as itching, discharge and pain during sexual act.
Performed with 313 volunteers in their 30s, research showed that while symptoms negatively affect their quality of life and sexual health, they have been widely normalized. The data were published node Brazilian Journal of Physical Therapy.
In the evaluation of Ana Carolina Beleza, one of the authors of the article, there is still a strong taboo about the theme, which leads many women to underestimate the impact of these symptoms on health, daily life or sex life. The contradiction between prevalence and consequences of vulvovaginal problems was found in the research. This is because, in addition to inquiring if participants had symptoms, the questionnaire included scores on their impact on different aspects of life.
“Even women who reported pain during the sexual act have evaluated that the problem has low impact on their lives. The scores used to measure the impact of this and other symptoms have been far short of expected, revealing worrying standardization. It is important to highlight that pain during sexual act is not normal and should be investigated through clinical approaches. In health care ”, defends beauty, which coordinates the Center for Studies in Physiotherapy in UFSCar Women’s Health (Nefism).
Supported by FAPESP, this work is the first to demonstrate the prevalence of vulvovaginal symptoms in young Brazilian women. According to the results, the most reported symptoms were vaginal secretion (63%), itching (54%), burning (31%), vaginal dryness (30%), vaginal odor (28%), irritation (27%) and pain in sexual act (20%). Less than 30% of participants said they did not present any of these discomfort.
The reported questions may have different causes, such as infections, hormonal, dermatological or muscle changes. Although treatment, they can negatively affect emotional well-being and sexual function and result in changes in women’s self-confidence and social life.
“This is an issue that requires a more global look, as it involves other aspects that go beyond health, such as cultural, emotional and ignorance about health,” says Clara Maria de Araujo Silva, the first author of the article and researcher at Nefism-UFSCar.
Taboo to vulvovaginal symptoms is also reflected in the few studies on the subject. “As far as you are aware, this is the first made in Brazil and for this age group. Still, it was a surprise to observe the high prevalence of vulvovaginal symptoms among young women. In this age group, symptoms such as pain and burning are not expected, as there are no hormonal changes associated with menopause, for example,” beauty points out.
Social determinants in health
The study suggests that while the prevalence of symptoms covers all social and educational strata, it may be even greater among women with less income and education.
“This opens a number of questions that we can investigate in close studies. We want to identify other factors, such as income, education, employment, housing conditions and access to health services, which could influence the occurrence of symptoms. From this understanding, it will be possible to draw measures to reduce this prevalence and strategies so that these symptoms are no longer normalized,” beauty says.
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This content was originally published in 70% of women suffer from itching and other symptoms in the genital region on CNN Brazil.
Source: CNN Brasil
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