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What is the Vulvovaginal Health Service?

The Vulvovaginal Health Service at Boston Children’s Hospital is dedicated to supporting children and adolescents with their gynecological health and well-being. Specifically, we focus on vulvovaginal care, which involves conditions affecting the vulva and vagina. Our program is the first of its kind on the U.S. East Coast and one of the few pediatric gynecologic programs nationally centered around this important subspecialty.

The specific services we offer include:

  • Comprehensive diagnostic evaluation of symptoms like genital itching, pain, and discharge
  • Topical and oral treatment plans for vulvar and vaginal conditions
  • Coordination with dermatologists, urologists, and other Boston Children’s specialists when needed
  • Psychosocial support for chronic or recurrent symptoms
  • Patient and caregiver education on genital hygiene and symptom management

Why choose Boston Children’s Vulvovaginal Health Service?

Led by a gynecologic nurse practitioner with two decades of expertise in the field, our team includes pediatric and adolescent gynecologists, nurses, and social workers who are specialized in caring for young people. Additionally, we work collaboratively with experts in pediatric dermatology, urology, physical therapy, and pain medicine to meet your family’s needs. Our multidisciplinary approach is designed to deliver the best, most effective care plan possible. We will tailor each program to your child’s unique situation and carefully address any concerns you have.

The primary conditions we treat are:

  • Vulvar rashes/dermatitis
  • Lichen sclerosus
  • Vulvar psoriasis
  • Vulvovaginitis
  • Vulvovaginal candidiasis
  • Bacterial vaginosis
  • Labial adhesions
  • Vulvar and genital pain

Research and innovation

We are committed to performing research that helps improve patient care and investigates the causes, risk factors, and treatment of vulvovaginal conditions. Two of our current projects are:

  • Understanding the prepubertal microbiome. This is a study that is retrospectively analyzing data gathered from visits of symptomatic prepubertal patients treated for bacterial vaginosis. We hope to contribute to the understanding of the prepubertal vaginal microbiome and clarify if bacterial vaginosis is a similar or different condition pre- versus post-puberty.  
  • Investigating the relationship between endometriosis and conditions of the vulva and vagina currently classified as autoimmune related. These include lichen sclerosus and desquamative inflammatory vaginitis. We are reviewing and analyzing our robust database, looking for co-occurrences and correlations in our populations.