Environmental Exposure History and Vulvodynia Risk: A Population-Based Study.
BACKGROUND
Risk factors for vulvodynia continue to be elusive. We evaluated the association between past environmental exposures and the presence of vulvodynia.


MATERIALS AND METHODS
The history of 28 lifetime environmental exposures was queried in the longitudinal population-based Woman-to-Woman Health Study on the 24-month follow-up survey. Relationships between these and vulvodynia case status were assessed using multinomial logistic regression.


RESULTS
Overall, 1585 women completed the 24-month survey, the required covariate responses, and questions required for case status assessment. Screening positive as a vulvodynia case was associated with history of exposures to home-sprayed chemicals (insecticides, fungicides, herbicides-odds ratio [OR] 2.47, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.71-3.58, p < 0.0001), home rodent poison and mothballs (OR 1.62, 95% CI 1.25-2.09, p < 0.001), working with solvents and paints (OR 2.49, 95% CI 1.68-3.70, p < 0.0001), working as a housekeeper/maid (OR 2.07, 95% CI 1.42-3.00, p < 0.0001), working as a manicurist/hairdresser (OR 2.00, 95% CI 1.14-3.53, p < 0.05), and working at a dry cleaning facility (OR 2.13, 95% CI 1.08-4.19, p < 0.05). When classified into nine individual environmental exposure categories and all included in the same model, significant associations remained for four categories (home-sprayed chemicals, home rodent poison or mothballs, paints and solvents, and working as a housekeeper).


CONCLUSIONS
This preliminary evaluation suggests a positive association between vulvodynia and the reported history of exposures to a number of household and work-related environmental toxins. Further investigation of timing and dose of environmental exposures, relationship to clinical course, and treatment outcomes is warranted.
['Reed|Barbara D|BD|', 'McKee|Kimberly S|KS|', 'Plegue|Melissa A|MA|', 'Park|Sung Kyun|SK|', 'Haefner|Hope K|HK|', 'Harlow|Sioban D|SD|']
D000328:Adult D000393:Air Pollutants D004781:Environmental Exposure D004785:Environmental Pollutants D005260:Female D006801:Humans D008824:Michigan D008875:Middle Aged D016273:Occupational Exposure D011159:Population Surveillance D011446:Prospective Studies D012307:Risk Factors D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires D056650:Vulvodynia D016387:Women's Health
environmental exposures vulvodynia risk population based