ArticleInternational urogynecology journal2022
Examining vaginal and vulvar health and sexual dysfunction in patients with interstitial cystitis (UNICORN-1 study).
Article in International urogynecology journal, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
9 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 16 citations in OpenAlex.
- Role of Gynecologic Findings in Interstitial Cystitis/Bladder Pain Syndrome: A Consensus.Neurourology and urodynamics · 2026Pooled it
- Integrating vaginal laser therapy into multidisciplinary management of bladder pain syndrome and vulvodynia.BMC urology · 2026Review
- Discrete mathematical network analysis bridging clinical vocabulary and patient discourse in interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome online communications.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- Comorbid bladder pain syndrome and vulvodynia - a cross-sectional analysis of the UNICORN-4 study.BMC women's health · 2025Article
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Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
3 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
introduction and hypothesisThe Vaginal Health Index Score (VHIS) and vulvodynia swab tests are used to assess vaginal health and vulvodynia. However, few studies have used these tests in patients with interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS). IC/BPS is a chronic, debilitating disorder, characterised by urinary frequency, urinary urgency and pelvic pain. It adversely affects organs adjacent to the urinary system, leading to complications of sexual dysfunction. This study was aimed at understanding sexual dysfunction in patients with IC/BPS, as well as deterioration of vaginal health and vulvodynia.
methodsThis study compared the vaginal health of IC/BPS patients with that of asymptomatic control individuals. The Pain Urgency Frequency (PUF) score, Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI), VHIS, and vulvodynia swab tests, were used as tools. The PUF and FSFI are questionnaire-based surveys of bladder symptoms and sexual function respectively. VHIS evaluation and vulvodynia swab tests are performed by physicians. The PUF was used to assess baseline IC/BPS symptoms to validate the patient population, and FSFI, vulvodynia swab tests and VHIS were used to determine between-group differences.
resultsThirty-seven patients were recruited in each group. The IC/BPS group had a higher PUF score (18.19±3.51 vs 3.56±2.35; p<0.05), worse total FSFI (15.72±4.46 vs 26.3±4.93; p<0.05), and worse vulvodynia swab test and total VHIS (11.59±2.87 vs 22.05±3.05; p<0.05) scores than those of the control group.
conclusionsAsian women with IC/BPS experienced greater sexual dysfunction, worsened vaginal health and increased vulvodynia compared with control individuals. Information on vaginal and vulva health is very useful in evaluating IC/BPS patients.
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