Partner responses to pain among male partners of women with provoked vestibulodynia—a cross-sectional study
Abstract. Introduction:. Provoked vestibulodynia (PVD) is a prevalent persistent pain disorder, localized to the vulva, not only affecting the sexual health of women suffering from it but also of their partners. Partner's behavioral response to the pain has implications for the affected woman&#...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wolters Kluwer
2025-04-01
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| Series: | PAIN Reports |
| Online Access: | http://journals.lww.com/painrpts/fulltext/10.1097/PR9.0000000000001265 |
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| author | Linn Myrtveit-Stensrud Elin Ekholm Ida Flink Moniek ter Kuile Linnéa Engman Isabelle Suvaal Karen Synne Groven Silje Endresen Reme |
| author_facet | Linn Myrtveit-Stensrud Elin Ekholm Ida Flink Moniek ter Kuile Linnéa Engman Isabelle Suvaal Karen Synne Groven Silje Endresen Reme |
| author_sort | Linn Myrtveit-Stensrud |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract. Introduction:. Provoked vestibulodynia (PVD) is a prevalent persistent pain disorder, localized to the vulva, not only affecting the sexual health of women suffering from it but also of their partners. Partner's behavioral response to the pain has implications for the affected woman's pain and sexual function, as well as the relational dynamics of the couple.
Objectives:. The main aim of this study was to explore facilitative, solicitous, and negative male partner responses to women with PVD and their links to demographic and psychosexual characteristics. Further, we investigated the discrepancies in psychosexual health between currently sexually active and inactive participants, as well as levels of anxiety and depressive symptoms within our sample of male partners (N = 127).
Methods:
Cross-sectional associations were examined using bivariate correlations. Differences in psychosexual health between the two sub-samples were examined using Mann-Whitney U test.
Results:. Our results showed that facilitative partner responses were significantly associated with higher relationship and sexual satisfaction, as well as with lower sexual distress and more approach goals. Negative partner responses were significantly associated with higher sexual distress, as well as with lower relationship and sexual satisfaction. Negative partner responses were the only responses significantly associated with the men's anxiety and depression, which suggests that mental health plays a role in partners' management of vulvodynia. In our sample, 10.2% scored above cut-off for clinical levels of depressive symptoms and 8.7% for anxiety, similar to a Swedish community sample.
Conclusion:
Partner responses were associated with psychosexual health. In our sample, male partners of women with PVD did not have more anxiety or depression than other men of the same age in the general population. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-23cab62b03cc475d96cef0de3a3e31c3 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2471-2531 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-04-01 |
| publisher | Wolters Kluwer |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PAIN Reports |
| spelling | doaj-art-23cab62b03cc475d96cef0de3a3e31c32025-08-20T03:40:18ZengWolters KluwerPAIN Reports2471-25312025-04-01102e126510.1097/PR9.0000000000001265PR90000000000001265Partner responses to pain among male partners of women with provoked vestibulodynia—a cross-sectional studyLinn Myrtveit-Stensrud0Elin Ekholm1Ida Flink2Moniek ter Kuile3Linnéa Engman4Isabelle Suvaal5Karen Synne Groven6Silje Endresen Reme7a Department of Rehabilitation Science and Health Technology, Oslo Metropolitan University, Oslo, Norwayb School of Behavioral, Social and Legal Sciences, University of Örebro, Örebro, Swedenb School of Behavioral, Social and Legal Sciences, University of Örebro, Örebro, Swedend Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlandse Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute, Solna, Swedend Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlandsa Department of Rehabilitation Science and Health Technology, Oslo Metropolitan University, Oslo, Norwayg Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, NorwayAbstract. Introduction:. Provoked vestibulodynia (PVD) is a prevalent persistent pain disorder, localized to the vulva, not only affecting the sexual health of women suffering from it but also of their partners. Partner's behavioral response to the pain has implications for the affected woman's pain and sexual function, as well as the relational dynamics of the couple. Objectives:. The main aim of this study was to explore facilitative, solicitous, and negative male partner responses to women with PVD and their links to demographic and psychosexual characteristics. Further, we investigated the discrepancies in psychosexual health between currently sexually active and inactive participants, as well as levels of anxiety and depressive symptoms within our sample of male partners (N = 127). Methods: Cross-sectional associations were examined using bivariate correlations. Differences in psychosexual health between the two sub-samples were examined using Mann-Whitney U test. Results:. Our results showed that facilitative partner responses were significantly associated with higher relationship and sexual satisfaction, as well as with lower sexual distress and more approach goals. Negative partner responses were significantly associated with higher sexual distress, as well as with lower relationship and sexual satisfaction. Negative partner responses were the only responses significantly associated with the men's anxiety and depression, which suggests that mental health plays a role in partners' management of vulvodynia. In our sample, 10.2% scored above cut-off for clinical levels of depressive symptoms and 8.7% for anxiety, similar to a Swedish community sample. Conclusion: Partner responses were associated with psychosexual health. In our sample, male partners of women with PVD did not have more anxiety or depression than other men of the same age in the general population.http://journals.lww.com/painrpts/fulltext/10.1097/PR9.0000000000001265 |
| spellingShingle | Linn Myrtveit-Stensrud Elin Ekholm Ida Flink Moniek ter Kuile Linnéa Engman Isabelle Suvaal Karen Synne Groven Silje Endresen Reme Partner responses to pain among male partners of women with provoked vestibulodynia—a cross-sectional study PAIN Reports |
| title | Partner responses to pain among male partners of women with provoked vestibulodynia—a cross-sectional study |
| title_full | Partner responses to pain among male partners of women with provoked vestibulodynia—a cross-sectional study |
| title_fullStr | Partner responses to pain among male partners of women with provoked vestibulodynia—a cross-sectional study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Partner responses to pain among male partners of women with provoked vestibulodynia—a cross-sectional study |
| title_short | Partner responses to pain among male partners of women with provoked vestibulodynia—a cross-sectional study |
| title_sort | partner responses to pain among male partners of women with provoked vestibulodynia a cross sectional study |
| url | http://journals.lww.com/painrpts/fulltext/10.1097/PR9.0000000000001265 |
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