Fuck Yeah, Gender Studies!

I just remembered that Sex and the City has a storyline in which Charlotte apparently has vulvodynia. The unprovoked kind.

What i like about this is that vulvodynia got mentioned. That has to be a good thing. The more people know about it, the more likely it is to get addressed and treated and resolved. What i didn’t like is part of how it was framed.

a) It’s one episode. One small part of one episode. And then it’s never mentioned again. In reality, vulvodynia is a tricky condition to treat that usually takes a long time to resolve.
b) The whole ‘depressed vagina’ shtick. That’s not what it is. But antidepressants (tricyclics like amitriptaline) are often prescribed to treat the pain—as they are with lots of chronic neuropathies, like shingles. So that’s not that bad—and it’s not like this is a medical show so i wouldn’t really expect them to go into why an antidepressant can treat chronic pain. Overall, not that bad.
c) The suggestion that Charlotte’s self-image (of her vulva) is somehow responsible for her pain. In reality, the cause for vulvodynia is not clear and i think setting it up in this way sort of suggests that it’s a psychological problem first and foremost and it simply isn’t. Having said that, i think it’s a very good idea to become visually acquainted with one’s genitals, if you can. If nothing else, know thine enemy… that’s what i do.

Overall, despite its shortcomings, i think the presence of vulvodynia in such a hit show as Sex and the City is a good thing.