Grant: Operating Grant

Chronic pain problems involving the female reproductive system are major health concerns for all women. Poorly understood, they entail great personal and financial cost. One such condition is vulvodynia, or chronic unexplained vulvar pain, which has a prevalence of 16%. Despite its negative impact on psychosexual and relationship satisfaction, there is little research examining empirically-tested treatments for afflicted couples. The proposed research builds on findings from our work focusing on the impact of relational factors on vulvodynia, and our previous research evaluating the efficacy of group cognitive-behavioral therapy for this problem. This two-centre randomized clinical trial aims to assess the efficacy of a novel, 12-week targeted couple therapy (CBCT) for women with vulvodynia in comparison to one of the most commonly prescribed first-line medical interventions, topical lidocaine. Primary research question: Is there a significant difference between the two treatments on women's pain during intercourse post-treatment? Based on our previous work and existing literature, we hypothesize that CBCT will yield significantly greater pain reduction post-treatment than lidocaine. Secondary research questions will assess for significant differences between the two treatments post-treatment and at 6-month follow-up on multidimensional aspects of pain using the McGill Pain Questionnaire, women and partners' sexuality (sexual function and satisfaction), psychological adjustment (anxiety, depression, catastrophizing, self-efficacy, attributions, and quality of life), relationship factors (partner responses and dyadic adjustment), and self-reported improvement and treatment satisfaction. We hypothesize that CBCT will show significantly greater improvements on all outcome measures compared to lidocaine. Results of this study will improve the health and quality of life of patients with vulvodynia by rigorously testing the efficacy of a novel couples treatment.