[Vulvodynia caused by vulvar vestibulitis syndrome]. / Vulvodynie met als oorzaak vulvair vestibulitissyndroom.

Vulvodynia is a puzzling disorder. Patients experience clear physical complaints of vulvar burning. Often they have consulted many physicians and tried all kinds of treatment. Vulvodynia is often caused by the vulvar vestibulitis syndrome (VVS). To detect VVS an extensive medical and psychosexual history is necessary. Thorough examination of the vaginal vestibule reveals the typical focal erythematous lesions. The aetiology of VVS is unknown. Of the many causal and perpetuating factors a sexual arousal disorder and pelvic floor hypertonia are the main ones. The psychodynamic aspects of these two core symptoms are principal issues in diagnosis and treatment of VVS. Treatment should include all physical, psychological, relational and sexual aspects of the problem. Surgical interventions should be limited to those rare cases in which an integrative approach fails to free the patient from the vicious circle of pain, anxiety and muscle tension.

Recent oral contraceptive use patterns in four European countries: evidence for selective prescribing of oral contraceptives containing third-generation progestogens.

A survey among oral contraceptive (OC) prescribers in the United Kingdom, Germany, Sweden and the Netherlands was performed to investigate OC prescription patterns before and after recent publicity in the media about studies reporting a higher risk of venous thromboembolism with OCs containing third-generation progestogens as compared to OCs containing second-generation progestogens. Before this publicity, most physicians prescribed third-generation OCs as their first-choice formulations for normal healthy women as well as for young girls (< 20 years) and older fertile women (30-35 years). In women presenting with cardiovascular risk factors, third-generation progestogens (desogestrel, gestodene) were considered safer and were five times more often prescribed than second-generation preparations (71% versus 14%). Most prescribers considered ethinylestradiol to be the most important component in relation to the risk of venous thromboembolism (71%), myocardial infarction (66%) and stroke (67%). In addition, for women presenting with cardiovascular risk factors, OC preparations containing 20 or 30 micrograms ethinylestradiol were considered safer than preparations containing 35 or 50 micrograms ethinylestradiol. Although the vast majority of prescribers (78%) stated that their attitudes towards safety of third-generation OCs had not changed since the recent publicity and the regulatory actions in some countries, 56% had changed their prescribing practice, largely due to patient concern about the safety of third-generation OCs. The results from this survey strongly suggest that, prior to the recent publicity, most prescribers considered third-generation OCs to be safer than second-generation preparations. Because of this perceived better safety profile, physicians have selectively been prescribing third-generation OCs to women at increased risk of cardiovascular disease. This pattern of selective OC prescribing may have seriously biased the results of the recently published studies on OCs and venous thromboembolism in favor of second-generation OCs.

The dynamics of oral contraceptive use in The Netherlands 1990-1993.

Data from an ongoing series of surveys on contraceptive use in the Netherlands were analyzed with respect to the percentages of oral contraceptive (OC) users who annually started use, discontinued use or switched to another OC type. The surveys had been conducted between 1990 and 1993 among samples of women aged 15-49 who belonged to a survey panel. Response rates of the surveys were 89-90% and the sample sizes ranged from 4560 to 4621 women. The assessed OC use rates reflected those of the Dutch population reasonably well. Of all respondents who had used OCs during the 12 months prior to the surveys, 12-15% discontinued use within this period, mainly in order to get pregnant, 12-16% were starters and 9-14% switchers. Of all starters 37% switched to another OC type within the first 12 months after starting. Switching was mainly related to the experience of perceived side-effects and wishes for better cycle control. The results highlighted the relevance of closely monitoring the individual woman's satisfaction with her OC. Since OC use appeared in many cases to be characterized by an active seeking for the most acceptable OC type, a wide range of OC types available and the development and introduction of new types is highly relevant for tailoring contraceptive use to individual needs.