eczema or to lichen sclerosus, infection (e.g., yeast infections, bacterial vaginosis, HPV, HSV), injury, and neuropathy—including an increased number of nerve endings in the vaginal area. Some cases seem to be negative outcomes of genital surgery, such as a labioplasty. Initiation of hormonal contraceptives that contain low- dose estrogen before the age of 16 could predispose women to vulvar vestibulitis syndrome. A significantly lower pain threshold, especially in the posterior vestibulum, has also been associated with the use of hormonal contraceptives in women without vulvar vestibulitis syndrome. Pelvic floor dysfunction may be the underlying cause of some women's pain. Diagnosis The condition is one of exclusion and other vulvovaginal problems should be ruled out. The diagnosis is based on the typical complaints of the patient, essentially normal physical findings, and the absence of identifiable causes per the differential diagnosis. Cotton swab testing is used to differentiate between generalized and localized pain and delineate the areas of pain and categorize their severity. Patients often will describe the touch of a cotton ball as extremely painful, like the scraping of a knife. A diagram of pain locations may be helpful in assessing the pain over time. The vagina should be examined, and tests, including wet mount, vaginal pH, fungal culture, and Gram stain, should be performed as indicated. Fungal culture may identify resistant strains. It is estimated that only half of affected women will seek medical help, among whom many will see several doctors before a correct diagnosis is made. Only 2% of the people that seek help do obtain a diagnostic. Many gynecologists are not familiar with this family of conditions, but awareness has spread with time. Affected women are also often hesitant to seek treatment for chronic vulvar pain, especially since many women begin experiencing symptoms around the same time they become sexually active. Moreover, the absence of any visible symptoms means that before being successfully diagnosed many patients have been told that the pain is "in their head" (a medical stance more associated with the 1970s than with modern medicine). Differential diagnosis Infections: urinary tract infection, candidiasis, herpes, HPV Inflammation: lichen planus Neoplasm: Paget's disease, vulvar carcinoma Neurologic disorder: neuralgia secondary to herpes virus, spinal nerve injury Treatment There are a number of possible treatments with none being uniformly effective. Treatments include: Lifestyle A number of lifestyle changes are often recommended such as using cotton underwear, not using substances