4.1 Formal definition
PVD is sometimes also described as chronic dyspareunia that is ‘prolonged (> 6 months) or frequently returning pain during insertion, when trying to have intercourse’. The last century other names were used but nowadays experts prefer to use the concept of provoked vestibulodynia (PVD). The main characteristics of this syndrome are:
- pain when penetrating (not only by intercourse but also using tampons, digital stimulation etc.) at the vestibulum;
- pressure (hyper) sensitive loci at the vestibulum;
- changing amount of red loci at the vestibulum, especially at 5 and 7 hours;
- high tonus of the pelvic floor muscles.