A randomized comparison of group cognitive-behavioral therapy, surface electromyographic biofeedback, and vestibulectomy in the treatment of dyspareunia resulting from vulvar vestibulitis

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

4-2001

Publication Title

Pain

Volume

91

Issue

3

First page number:

297

Last page number:

306

Abstract

This study compared group cognitive–behavioral therapy (12-week trial), surface electromyographic biofeedback (12-week trial), and vestibulectomy in the treatment of dyspareunia resulting from vulvar vestibulitis. Subjects were 78 women randomly assigned to one of three treatment conditions and assessed at pretreatment, posttreatment and 6-month follow-up via gynecological examinations, structured interviews and standard questionnaires pertaining to pain (Pain Rating Index and Sensory scale of the McGill Pain Questionnaire, vestibular pain index, pain during intercourse), sexual function (Sexual History Form, frequency of intercourse, Information subscale of the Derogatis Sexual Functioning Inventory), and psychological adjustment (Brief Symptom Inventory). As compared with pretreatment, study completers of all treatment groups reported statistically significant reductions on pain measures at posttreatment and 6-month follow-up, although the vestibulectomy group was significantly more successful than the two other groups. However, the apparent superiority of vestibulectomy needs to be interpreted with caution since seven women who had been assigned to this condition did not go ahead with the intervention. All three groups significantly improved on measures of psychological adjustment and sexual function from pretreatment to 6-month follow-up. Intent-to-treat analysis supported the general pattern of results of analysis by-treatment-received. Findings suggest that women with dyspareunia can benefit from both medical and behavioral interventions.

Keywords

Cognitive–behavioral therapy; Dyspareunia; Psychosexual disorders; Sexual disorders; Vulvar vestibulitis

Disciplines

Community-Based Research | Counseling Psychology | Health Psychology | Medicine and Health | Psychiatry and Psychology | Psychology

Language

English

Permissions

Use Find in Your Library, contact the author, or use interlibrary loan to garner a copy of the article. Publisher copyright policy allows author to archive post-print (author’s final manuscript). When post-print is available or publisher policy changes, the article will be deposited

Publisher Citation

Sophie Bergeron, Yitzchak M Binik, Samir Khalifé, Kelly Pagidas, Howard I Glazer, Marta Meana, Rhonda Amsel, A randomized comparison of group cognitive–behavioral therapy, surface electromyographic biofeedback, and vestibulectomy in the treatment of dyspareunia resulting from vulvar vestibulitis, Pain, Volume 91, Issue 3, April 2001, Pages 297-306, ISSN 0304-3959, 10.1016/S0304-3959(00)00449-8.

UNLV article access

Search your library

Share

COinS