Pain with touch
- Pain or burning when you insert a tampon
- Sharp pain at the vaginal opening during sex
- Pain during a pelvic exam
- Discomfort from tight clothes or cycling
Your pain is real, and worth checking
Vulvodynia Treatment in Gangnam, Seoul, starting with answers
Vulvodynia is long-lasting pain, burning or rawness of the vulva, for at least three months, without a clear cause such as infection or skin disease. It often hurts most with touch, sex or tampons. At Sinsoe Women's Clinic in Gangnam, Seoul, female OB-GYNs can assess vulvar pain and check for treatable causes, such as yeast infection, dryness or skin conditions, with an English-speaking coordinator at your side. Swab results usually come in 1 to 2 days. A dedicated vulvodynia programme is not confirmed, so ask the coordinator what is available for you.
Availability: A dedicated vulvodynia programme is not confirmed at Sinsoe. Female OB-GYNs can assess vulvar pain and treat causes such as infection, dryness and skin irritation. Message the coordinator on WhatsApp to ask what is available for you.
- Assessment by female OB-GYNs
- Infections ruled out first
- Swab results in 1–2 days
- Availability: please ask us
- 4 min from Eonju Station, Exit 7
- 3+ months of pain before vulvodynia is diagnosed
- 1–2 days for swab test results
- 5 female doctors on one team
- EN English coordinator from booking to results
The basics
What is vulvodynia?
Vulvodynia is chronic vulvar pain with no visible cause. Women describe it as burning, stinging, rawness or a feeling of being cut. It can be constant, or only when the area is touched.
The most common form is provoked vestibulodynia, pain at the vaginal opening during sex, tampon use or a pelvic exam. In generalized vulvodynia, pain can be felt anywhere on the vulva, even without touch.
The exact cause is not fully understood. Nerve sensitivity, tight pelvic floor muscles, hormone changes and past infections may all play a part. It is not sexually transmitted, and it is not "all in your head".
Diagnosis Causes to rule out first
- Yeast and other vaginal infections
- Herpes and other STDs
- Skin conditions such as lichen sclerosus or eczema
- Vaginal dryness from low estrogen
- Allergy or irritation from soaps and products
What it is not
- Not an infection, so repeated antifungal or antibiotic courses don't help
- Not your fault, and not something you have to put up with
Signs
Signs that your vulvar pain may be vulvodynia
Vulvodynia is diagnosed once other causes are ruled out. These signs make it more likely.
Pain without touch
- Burning or rawness most of the day
- Pain that has lasted 3 months or more
- Repeated "yeast infections" with negative tests
- Pain that makes it hard to sit for long
See a doctor soon if you have:
- Sores, blisters, ulcers or white patches on the vulva
- Pain with fever or unusual discharge
- A lump or a new area of changed skin
These point to another cause that needs treatment. Message us on WhatsApp to book an exam.
Treatment
How vulvodynia is usually treated
There is no single cure, but most women improve with a mix of treatments. Ask the coordinator which of these Sinsoe can provide for you.
Gentle care and local treatment
Avoiding irritants, cotton underwear, lubricant for sex and a numbing gel such as lidocaine before touch. Any dryness is treated, for example with vaginal estrogen.
First step for allNerve pain medicine
Low doses of medicines that calm nerve pain, taken by mouth or applied to the skin. They take several weeks to work.
Constant burningPelvic floor and mind-body care
Pelvic floor physiotherapy to relax tight muscles, and counseling or CBT to manage pain and its effect on sex. Surgery is rarely used.
Pain with sex Step by step
Getting vulvar pain checked in Gangnam
The first step is a careful assessment to find, or rule out, treatable causes.
- 1 Message us in English On WhatsApp. Tell us where it hurts, how long it has lasted and what you have tried, and ask what is available for you.
- 2 Check in on 2F Bring your passport or Alien Registration Card, and the names of medicines and creams you have used.
- 3 Consultation A female OB-GYN listens to your story and asks about your pain, periods, sex life and past infections.
- 4 A very gentle exam and swabs She looks at the skin, may touch lightly with a cotton swab to map painful spots, and takes swabs for infection. She stops whenever you ask.
- 5 Next steps Treatment for any cause found, advice for daily comfort, and an honest talk about what Sinsoe can offer or where to go next.
Helpful to bring
- A note of when the pain started and what makes it worse
- Names of creams, washes and medicines you have tried
- Past swab or test results
- Your contraception and any recent changes
Worried about the exam?
Tell your doctor if exams are painful for you. She explains each step, uses the smallest instruments and can do only part of the exam.
You can stop at any time. Your comfort comes first.
Honest expectations
What to expect from vulvodynia treatment
Improvement is usually gradual. Here is what each approach involves, including side effects.
Local care
Days to weeks
Removing irritants often helps a little quite quickly. Numbing gel can sting briefly when first applied.
Nerve pain medicine
Several weeks
Doses start low and rise slowly. Possible side effects include tiredness, a dry mouth and dizziness.
Pelvic floor physiotherapy
A few months
Helps when muscles are tight. It needs regular sessions with a specialist physiotherapist.
Counseling and CBT
Ongoing
Helps with pain, anxiety and the effect on your sex life, and is often combined with other treatments.
Treatment is personal. Your doctor may refer you to a vulvar pain specialist or physiotherapist where needed.
Expats & visitors
Getting vulvar pain checked in Korea as a foreigner
You don't need Korean insurance. Ruling out common causes is a useful first step wherever you continue care.
Long-term support
Vulvodynia often needs months of care. Bring your Alien Registration Card, and your doctor can suggest where to find specialist support in Seoul if needed.
Rule out causes in one visit
Bring your passport. An exam and swabs can find or rule out infection, and results can be shared by message after you leave.
Take your results with you
Ask for an English medical certificate or summary, so your doctor at home can continue treatment.
Quick answers
Vulvodynia: common questions
Where can I get vulvar pain checked in Gangnam with an English-speaking doctor?
Sinsoe Women's Clinic at 537 Nonhyeon-ro, Gangnam-gu, Seoul offers assessment of vulvar pain with female doctors and an English-speaking coordinator. It is a 4-minute walk from Eonju Station Exit 7 (Line 9). Book on WhatsApp at +82-10-9517-5719. Ask the coordinator whether vulvodynia treatment is available for you.
Does Sinsoe offer vulvodynia treatment?
A dedicated vulvodynia programme is not confirmed. Female OB-GYNs at Sinsoe can assess vulvar pain, test for infection and treat causes such as dryness or yeast. Message the coordinator to ask what is available for your situation.
What causes vulvodynia?
The exact cause is unknown. Nerve sensitivity, tight pelvic floor muscles, hormone changes and past infections may all play a part. It is not caused by poor hygiene and is not sexually transmitted.
How is vulvodynia diagnosed?
By ruling out other causes. Your doctor examines the vulva, may press gently with a cotton swab to find painful spots, and takes swabs to check for infection.
Can vulvodynia be cured?
There is no single cure, but most women improve with treatment, often a combination of local care, medicine, physiotherapy and counseling.
Is vulvodynia the same as a yeast infection?
No, although they can feel similar. If you keep being treated for yeast infections but the tests are negative, vulvodynia is one possible reason.
Can I still have sex with vulvodynia?
Many women can, with treatment, lubricant, numbing gel and open communication. Other forms of intimacy are fine too. Your doctor can advise.
Can tourists get vulvar pain checked in Seoul?
Yes. Visitors are seen as self-pay patients. Bring your passport and message the coordinator first.
Ready when you are
Ask about vulvar pain care in Gangnam, Seoul
Tell us about your pain in English. A coordinator checks what is available for you and books an assessment with a female OB-GYN.
Sinsoe Women's Clinic
537 Nonhyeon-ro, Gangnam-gu, Seoul 06126, South KoreaEonju Station Exit 7 (4 min) · Yeoksam Station Exit 6 (5 min)
| Mon & Fri | 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM |
|---|---|
| Tue, Wed, Thu | 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM |
| Saturday | 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM |
| Sunday | Closed |