His and Her Health

My question is for Dr. Goldstein, and how primary vestibulitis is diagnosed?

Is it really just through the following 2 questions (that I keep reading about) or can it actually be diagnosed through physical findings? (Questions:(1) did it hurt the first time you used a tampon? (2) did sex hurt the first time?)

Regarding question #1, my answer would be yes, inserting a tampon the first time (and few proceeding times after) did hurt; however, I was 12 yrs old, and I thought most women had some pain inserting a tampon the first few times? (I was able to use tampons for 15 years after without a problem.)

Regarding question #2, my answer would also be yes, sex the first time did hurt, although I've also had sex without pain. I just assumed that it was normal to have pain with sex the first time (or few times) b/c your body is not used to it? Are you saying that sex is not supposed to hurt the first time?

So just b/c I answered yes to these questions, does that actually constitute primary vestibulitis?

I believe with primary vestibulitis there's never a pain free interim of sex. It hurts the first time and continues to be painful to some extent indefinitely.

Obviously a physical exam is needed to diagnose a problem. The questions you speak about I think were to determine if you have pain after the initial use of tampons or in having intercourse. And you still have pain.

Another question - For those that have primary vestibulitis, was anyone born prematuraley? (Just curious if a link has ever been made between vestibulitis and being a preemi (as it has been referred to as a 'birth defect')? Or I guess this may be a question for Dr. Goldstein?

I was born a month prematurely.