For decades, vulvodynia was considered a mystery condition with few answers and limited treatment options. That's no longer the case.

In this episode, Dr. Andrew Goldstein - Clinical Professor at George Washington University and one of the world's leading experts on vulvar and pelvic pain - explains how 25 years of dedicated research has transformed our understanding of vulvodynia from a "black box" into a condition with identifiable causes and effective treatments.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why vulvodynia wasn't part of standard medical training (and what's changing)
• The real causes behind vulvar pain - from mast cell inflammation to hormonal triggers
• How birth control pills can cause vulvodynia in some women (and the genetic reasons why)
• Why the majority of pelvic pain patients have been gaslit - and the JAMA study that proves it
• The truth about vestibulectomy surgery: who needs it (only 7% of patients) and the 97% success rate
• Exciting new treatments on the horizon, including ketotifen for mast cell stabilization

Dr. Goldstein, past president of the International Society for the Study of Women's Sexual Health, has published over 170 peer-reviewed articles and co-authored 8 books on female sexual pain. He shares the revolutionary research from the 2023 Vulvodynia Therapeutics Summit and explains why vulvodynia is no longer a mystery condition - it's a solvable problem with tailored treatments.

Whether you're living with vulvodynia, vestibulodynia, vaginismus, or other forms of pelvic pain, this episode offers validation, answers, and hope for your healing journey.

🎧 Topics covered: vulvodynia causes, hormonally mediated vulvodynia, provoked vestibulodynia, vestibulectomy surgery, pelvic floor dysfunction, mast cell activation, birth control and vulvar pain, gaslighting in healthcare, new vulvodynia treatments

🔬 WANT TO HELP ADVANCE VULVODYNIA RESEARCH?

Dr. Goldstein emphasizes that clinical trials are crucial for developing new treatments. If you're interested in participating in vulvodynia research studies, including trials for ketotifen (mast cell stabilizer), resiniferatoxin (nerve desensitization),and Xeomin (for vulvodynia due to secondary hypertonic pelvic floor muscle dysfunction), reach out to research.cvvd@gmail.com.

Your participation could help create the breakthrough treatments of tomorrow.

RESOURCES & LINKS:

Dr. Andrew Goldstein:

• Centers for Vulvovaginal Disorders: www.vulvodynia.com

Organizations mentioned:

• International Society for the Study of Women's Sexual Health (ISSWSH): www.isswsh.org
• National Vulvodynia Association: www.nva.org
• Tight Lipped (Patient Advocacy): https://www.tightlipped.org/

Dr. Goldstein's Books:

• When Sex Hurts (2nd edition, 2022)
• Female Sexual Pain Disorders: Evaluation & Management (2nd edition, 2020)

• Reclaiming Desire (2nd edition, 2009)

Connect with the podcast: @meet.baubo or mathilde@baubo.org

If you're dealing with vaginismus or vulvodynia, you know how limited treatment options can feel - and how rarely we see real innovation in this space. That's why I was so intrigued when I discovered light therapy as a potential tool for pelvic pain relief.

In this episode, I sit down with Liz Frey, a pelvic health physiotherapist and Women's Health Medical Director at Fringe, to explore how light therapy is being used to treat vaginismus, vulvodynia, and pelvic floor hypertonicity.

Liz breaks down the science of photobiomodulation and explains how different wavelengths of light - red, near-infrared, and blue - work at the cellular level to promote tissue healing, reduce inflammation, and support pelvic floor recovery.

In this episode, we discuss:

• What light therapy actually is and how it differs from sunlight exposure
• The science behind red light and near-infrared therapy for tissue healing
• How light therapy can help with vaginismus, vulvodynia, and pelvic floor hypertonicity
• Blue light therapy for vaginal microbiome health and bacterial vaginosis
• The Fringe Pelvic Wand: combining light therapy with gentle vibration
• Use cases for postpartum recovery, menopause, and pelvic atrophy
• Contraindications and safety considerations
• How to integrate light therapy into your pelvic pain treatment plan

Resources mentioned:

• Fringe website: FringeHeals.com
• Instagram: @FringeHeals
• Use discount code BAUBO10 for exclusive savings

Connect with the podcast: @Meet.Baubo or mathilde@baubo.org

After experiencing vaginismus for over 15 years, Lauren found a treatment approach that finally worked - and it looked very different from the clinical, physical therapy-style dilation she'd tried before.

In this conversation, Lauren opens up about her journey from her first painful gynecologist visit at age 12 through years of inadequate medical advice ("just relax" and "have a glass of wine"), to discovering what actually helped: an arousal-first approach to dilating that prioritized pleasure over protocol.

Lauren shares the practical details of her routine - how she started so slowly she didn't even use dilators at first, why she incorporated audio porn and a magic wand into every session, and how she worked with her husband to build arousal skills before ever attempting penetrative sex together. She also discusses the role that going off birth control played in reconnecting with her libido and menstrual cycle, and how understanding her body's natural rhythms helped her succeed.

This episode offers concrete, actionable insights for anyone struggling with vaginismus, while also exploring the emotional and relational impact of living with pain. Lauren's story is a reminder that healing doesn't have to follow a rigid formula - and that sometimes the key is making the process feel less like physical therapy and more like something you actually want to do.

Connect with Lauren on instagram @tcsbooks

Connect with Mathilde on instagram @meet.baubo or mathilde@baubo.org