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The Honorable David Obey
Chair, Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services and Education
U.S. House of Representatives
2358 Rayburn HOB
Washington, D.C.  20515

The Honarable James Walsh
Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services and Education
U.S. House of Representatives
2372 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515

Dear Chairman Obey and Ranking Member Walsh,

As you prepare the FY 2008 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies Appropriations bill, I respectfully urge you to include language on funding vulvodynia research.  Despite the fact that Vulvodynia is widely prevalent, the NIH has awarded funding to only 10 Vulvodynia studies to date. While I commend prior steps the NIH has taken to begin tackling this condition, many more studies on its causes and treatments are needed.

A recent NIH-funded prevalence study found that millions of women suffer from this debilitating chronic pain syndrome. This 5-year study found that health care providers lack the training to treat women suffering from this condition. Almost 60% of patients report visiting 3 or more doctors in seeking a diagnosis and 40% remain undiagnosed even after numerous physician consultations.

Vulvodynia is a life-altering condition that impacts almost every aspect of a woman’s life, including the ability to function at any job that requires long periods of sitting. Living with this chronic pain often destroys women’s marriages and their ability to take care of children. 

To further Vulvodynia research, I ask that you include the attached language on Vulvodynia in the next Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies Appropriations bill. 

Thank you for your prompt attention to this important women's health issue.

Sincerely,

  Hanna Toemmervik

Draft Language on Vulvodynia to Consider for the FY 2008 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill

Office of the Director

Vulvodynia.--In the last decade, NIH has supported three important research conferences on vulvodynia, as well as the first prevalence study and clinical trial on the disorder. These efforts have both clearly demonstrated the need for substantial additional research and served to heighten the research community's level of interest in studying vulvodynia. The Committee calls upon the Director to build upon these initial successes by coordinating through the ORWH an expanded, collaborative extramural and intramural research effort into the causes of, and treatments for, vulvodynia. This expanded effort should involve ORWH, NICHD, NINDS and other relevant ICs, as well as the NIH Pain Consortium. The Committee also commends ORWH for working with the National Vulvodynia Association, other relevant ICs and women’s health offices in other governmental agencies to plan an educational outreach campaign on vulvodynia, as previously requested by the Committee. Finally, the Committee encourages the Director to work with the Center for Scientific Review and ICs to ensure that experts in vulvodynia, and related chronic pain and female reproductive system conditions, are adequately represented on peer review panels.

National Institute of Child Health and Human Services

Vulvodynia- As a result of efforts funded by the NICHD, the number of highly qualified scientists interested in researching vulvodynia has greatly increased. The Committee commends NICHD for reissuing its program announcement in this area and recommends that a request for applications be issued. The Committee commends NICHD for supporting two new projects on vulvodynia in 2006 and strongly urges NICHD to increase the number of awards for vulvodynia studies in 2008, with a particular emphasis on etiology and multi-center therapeutic trials. Finally, the Committee commends NICHD for working with ORWH to implement an educational outreach campaign on vulvodynia and calls upon the Institute to continue these efforts.

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke

Vulvodynia - NIH-supported research indicates that millions of women suffer from chronic pelvic and genitourinary pain conditions such as vulvodynia. Therefore, the Committee calls upon the NINDS, in coordination with the NICHD, ORWH, the NIH Pain Consortium and other ICs, to expand its support of research in this area, with a focus on etiology and multi-center therapeutic trials. The Committee also calls on NINDS to work with ORWH and other relevant ICs and government agencies, as well as patient and professional organizations, to implement an educational outreach campaign on vulvodynia.