Poorly characterised and often misunderstood, dyspareunia can manifest as superficial or deep pain, and can lead to significant distress in sufferers. Research shows that individuals with endometriosis are at nine times greater risk of experiencing deep dyspareunia. This symptom severely affects their sexual activity and overall quality of life.
The authors (listed below) call for improved research efforts to better understand and address dyspareunia, urging the scientific community to prioritise this neglected yet important health issue. As medical science advances from basic research to clinical studies, it is suggested that enhancing methodologies and focusing on dyspareunia could pave the way for new treatments that significantly improve the lives of those impacted.
#### Recent news
In recent studies on deep dyspareunia linked to endometriosis, researchers have refined the vaginal distention method initially proposed in 2001 for evaluating pain responses in rodent models. Key findings indicate that dyspareunia is exacerbated during specific phases of the oestrus cycle, particularly proestrus when oestradiol levels are high. Studies have shown that vaginal hyperalgesia, an increased sensitivity to pain, persists over time following surgery and is influenced by the presence of cystic lesions typical of endometriosis. Researchers have also identified that both behavioural responses and physiological measures, like the Visceral Muscle Response (VMR) and mean arterial pressure during vaginal distention, effectively assess pain levels. Furthermore, innovative studies are investigating the development of these assessment methods in awake rats, aiming to streamline future research and deepen our understanding of endometriosis-related pain.
[Read the full story on the Nuffield Department of Women's & Reproductive Health website.](https://www.wrh.ox.ac.uk/news/understanding-dyspareunia-a-hidden-struggle-for-those-with-endometriosis-and-ic-bps)