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Examining vaginal and vulvar health and sexual dysfunction in patients with interstitial cystitis (UNICORN-1 study)

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Abstract

Introduction and hypothesis

The Vaginal Health Index Score (VHIS) and vulvodynia swab tests are used to assess vaginal health and vulvodynia. However, few studies have used these tests in patients with interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS). IC/BPS is a chronic, debilitating disorder, characterised by urinary frequency, urinary urgency and pelvic pain. It adversely affects organs adjacent to the urinary system, leading to complications of sexual dysfunction. This study was aimed at understanding sexual dysfunction in patients with IC/BPS, as well as deterioration of vaginal health and vulvodynia.

Methods

This study compared the vaginal health of IC/BPS patients with that of asymptomatic control individuals. The Pain Urgency Frequency (PUF) score, Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI), VHIS, and vulvodynia swab tests, were used as tools. The PUF and FSFI are questionnaire-based surveys of bladder symptoms and sexual function respectively. VHIS evaluation and vulvodynia swab tests are performed by physicians. The PUF was used to assess baseline IC/BPS symptoms to validate the patient population, and FSFI, vulvodynia swab tests and VHIS were used to determine between-group differences.

Results

Thirty-seven patients were recruited in each group. The IC/BPS group had a higher PUF score (18.19±3.51 vs 3.56±2.35; p<0.05), worse total FSFI (15.72±4.46 vs 26.3±4.93; p<0.05), and worse vulvodynia swab test and total VHIS (11.59±2.87 vs 22.05±3.05; p<0.05) scores than those of the control group.

Conclusions

Asian women with IC/BPS experienced greater sexual dysfunction, worsened vaginal health and increased vulvodynia compared with control individuals. Information on vaginal and vulva health is very useful in evaluating IC/BPS patients.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Editage for language editing.

Funding

No research funding was received for this study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Kanagawa Dental University, Yokosuka, Kanagawa, Japan

    Nobuo Okui

  2. Department of Urogynecology, Yokosuka Urogynecology Clinic, Kanagawa, Japan

    Nobuo Okui & Machiko Okui

  3. Menopause and Osteoporosis Unit, San Rossore Clinical Center, Pisa, Italy

    Marco Gambacciani

  4. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Pisa University Hospital, Pisa, Italy

    Marco Gambacciani

Authors
  1. Nobuo Okui
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  2. Machiko Okui
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  3. Marco Gambacciani
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Contributions

N. Okui: research inspiration or design, data collection, data analysis and interpretation, writing a dissertation and approval of the final draft; M. Okui: data collection, writing a dissertation and approval of final draft; M. Gambacciani: significant revision of the dissertation and approval of the final draft.

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Correspondence to Nobuo Okui.

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All authors declare that no support, financial or otherwise, has been received from any organisation that may have an interest in the submitted work; and that there are no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work.

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Informed consent was obtained from all patients included in this study.

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Okui, N., Okui, M. & Gambacciani, M. Examining vaginal and vulvar health and sexual dysfunction in patients with interstitial cystitis (UNICORN-1 study). Int Urogynecol J 33, 2493–2499 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00192-022-05220-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00192-022-05220-7

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