Vulvodynia: evolution of classification and management

The aim of this article is to make the reader familiar with the history and current status of vulvodynia. The account is presented as a historical survey, from the seventies to the nineties. It explains how and why the term came to be defined, and how some sub‐groups – in particular dysaesthetic vulvodynia and vulval vestibulitis – have been identified and described. Their management is discussed. The importance of distinguishing these conditions from those which are variants of normal is stressed.