Chronic vaginal pain with no identifiable cause impacts an estimated six million women. Known as vulvodynia, this condition often goes undiagnosed despite the level of pain that not only makes intimacy difficult, but makes daily life a struggle of pain management.

The average women suffering from vulvovaginal pain disorders will see seven doctors before receiving a diagnosis. This delays the start of treatment and care, while putting undue stress on women dealing with an already difficult issue.

As Americans in the Baby Boomer generation grow older, the number of women entering menopause will reach nearly two million each year … more than at any other time in history.

Menopause and the transitional time leading up to it (perimenopause) affects every woman. While it can cause different symptoms in every woman, the time where estrogen levels drop can cause everything from mood swings, to short-term memory loss, lowered libido, and difficulty thinking clearly.

Despite being a normal part of life, more research is needed on how to lessen the effects of menopause and in educating health professionals on how to help women continue to lead fulfilling, sexual lives after menopause.

UNICEF estimates that more than 200 million girls and women alive today have undergone female genital mutilation. It is essential to understand that FGM is an issue domestically, as well. According to a 2016 CDC report, an estimated 513,000 girls and women in the United States were either victims of FGM or at risk of FGM, with ⅓ under the age of 18.

FGM involves the partial or total removal of external female genitalia or other injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons. FGM can cause life-long physical and psychological trauma, including severe bleeding, problems urinating, and later cysts, infections, as well as childbirth complications and risk of newborn deaths.

1 in 10 women suffer from endometriosis, according to the Endometriosis Foundation Association. It can affect women from their first menstrual period through menopause and is most often diagnosed when a woman is in her thirties or forties.

Endometriosis can cause a wide range of symptoms including pelvic pain, painful intercourse, infertility, bloating, and irregular periods. These symptoms can be caused by many similar conditions, which is why endometriosis is so difficult to diagnose. There is still so much about the condition that we don’t understand, which is why the Patty Brisben Foundation is committed to investing in research in this underfunded area of medical science.