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Introduction & Objectives

Persistent genital arousal disorder (PGAD) is characterized by symptoms of physiological sexual arousal (genital vasocongestion, sensitivity) that are described as unwanted, distressing, and sometimes painful. There is limited systematic research on PGAD, though Markos and Dinsmore (2013) have suggested that PGAD may share some similarities with vulvodynia. This study sought to compare symptom characteristics and medical histories of women with symptoms of persistent genital arousal (PGA) and vulvodynia.

Population sample

Women with symptoms of PGA (N=43), painful PGA (N=53) and vulvodynia (N=49) were recruited from online support groups, listservs, social media, health care providers, and researchers.

Method(s)

Participants completed an online survey on comorbid medical conditions, symptom characteristics, the McGill Pain Questionnaire (MPQ) and the Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS; modified for vulvar sensations).

Results

Chronic pelvic pain, irritable bowel syndrome, and pelvic floor muscle dysfunction were frequent comorbidities in all groups. There were no significant differences across groups in terms of symptom onset (e.g. primary vs. secondary; all p’s > .05). There was an effect of group on MPQ scores, F(2, 139) = 5.46, p = .005. Women with PGA reported significantly lower scores on the MPQ than the painful PGA or vulvodynia groups, who reported similar scores. The vulvodynia group endorsed more sensory terms (e.g. ‘shooting’) while the painful PGA symptom group endorsed more affective terms (e.g. ‘terrifying’). Women in the PGA and painful PGA groups reported clinically significant levels of catastrophizing.

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