When sex hurts: Female genital pain is no fun! Neither is painful sex in

摘要

Chronic pain is often related to severe disability and has a huge impact on a person's quality of life. Access to pain treatment is thus considered a fundamental human right. There may, however, be many barriers to effective pain management. Lack of awareness of chronic pain in the community and fear of being considered as someone who complains, is weak, seeks attention, or avoids responsibility may be important barriers for seeking help for a pain problem. From the health professional side, lack of education and lack of understanding possible mechanisms and available treatment options may further impede treatment for those seeking help. In this issue of the Scandinavian Journal of Pain, a position paper by Johanna Thomten and Steven J Linton, argues that female sexual pain has not received appropriate attention and that the barriers for effective treatment are particular extensive in this patient population.