Introduction: Vulvar vestibulitis syndrome (VVS) is a diverse, multifactorial phenomenon. Its precise etiology is unknown.
Aim: To define the association between oral contraceptive (OC) estrogen dosage and VVS. Methods. Women diagnosed as having VVS participated in the study.
Main outcome measures: Data on type and usage of oral contraceptive pills (OC) were obtained by a questionnaire, and they were compared for the data on OC usage in the general population.
Results: Available commercial data on Israeli women taking OC showed that 51% of them use low-dose estrogen (</=20 microg) OC and 49% use higher-dose estrogen (30-35 microg) OC. Of the 132 women in the study, 86 (65%) used OC: 68 (79%) used low-dose estrogen OC (P < 0.002 compared to the general population), while only 18 (21%) used high-dose estrogen OC (P < 0.002 compared to the general population).
Conclusion: Significantly more patients who are treated in our clinic for VVS use low-dose estrogen than those who use high-dose estrogen OC.