Résumé
Vulvodynia affects 8 to 16% of women, it is a complex neuro-bio-psycho-social pathology, often unknown to patients and caregivers as well as a source of long diagnostic uncertainty and often non-optimal treatment. It is responsible for a significant impairment of quality of life, due to an impact on sexual health and global health in the meaning allocated by the WHO. Exploring the overall experience of women affected by vulvodynia could improve our knowledge of this pathology, as well as developing potential prospects for diagnosis and treatment improvement.Objective: finding-out about women’s experiences with vulvodynia, with the secondary objective of suggesting perspectives for improving diagnoses and treatment.Method: qualitative study of 9 interviews, analysis is done by interpretive phenomenological analysis method.Results: we have noticed difficult experiences for women suffering from vulvodynia with an impact on all aspects of their lives. What has been noted as contributing to this negative experience is a delayed diagnosis as well as an often negatively experienced gynecological consultation. The prospects for improvement seem to be in link with the diagnosis, through perfecting the academic knowledge for the medical profession on this topic, and through information to the general public. Multidisciplinary treatment focused on specialized pelvic rehabilitation was observed as very effective. A closer cooperation between the patient and the doctor, meaning giving patients a more active part in their medical care could allow an improvement in the overall experience of vulvodynia.Conclusion: vulvodynia has a very negative impact on women's lives. However, multidisciplinary care seems to be associated with a clear improvement in the quality of life, particularly through the process of body reappropriation. Better knowledge of vulvodynia, a comprehensive approach to care, as well as an improvement in the doctor-patient relationship could improve this difficult experience.