Broken age thrush6/22/2023 ![]() ![]() The repercussion of which extend to loss of confidence, self-esteem, intimacy and quality of life. RVVC is a disorder with significant physical and psychological impact. ![]() Health Care Practitioner (HCP) knowledge and care have been identified as important factors in the successful management of RVVC. Dissatisfaction with prescribed medical management, high relapse and patient doubts about medication safety and effectiveness have resulted in patient utilisation of complementary medicines (CM). Referral pathways are also poorly defined, and referral is not always initiated. A recent assessment of the prescribing guidelines for RVVC suggested a large variety in treatment approaches, leading to RVVC patients not being offered sufficiently prolonged maintenance therapy or even at all. Prolonged courses of oral azole or vaginal therapy for 6 months or more, referred to as maintenance therapy, is the most effective management approach, which, after cessation, has an approximate 50% relapse rate. Management of RVVC is often sub-optimal, with no fully curative approaches in conventional medicine. A diagnosis of RVVC often follows a substantial healthcare journey involving recurrent visits to a General Practitioner (GP) either from the onset of VVC symptoms or when symptoms recur following over-the-counter (OTC) treatment. endometriosis), significant delays in diagnosing RVVC are common. Īs with other chronic women's health conditions (e.g. ![]() Projections suggest an upward trend in RVVC prevalence by 2030. There has been no substantial reduction in lifetime annual prevalence rates of RVVC in the past 30 years despite advances in drug development and the introduction of long-term azole treatment. Current estimates indicate that 75% of all women will develop VVC in their lifetime, with around 5–10% of women experiencing RVVC. Idiopathic RVVC occurs in otherwise well individuals with no significant identifiable triggers such as antibiotic use or metabolic disorder. Vulvovaginal pruritus, irritation, soreness, dyspareunia and vaginal discharge are considered to be cardinal symptoms, although are often variable in severity. Recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis (RVVC) is a chronic subtype of vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) defined as at least four symptomatic episodes of VVC in the previous 12 months with at least one positive culture. Future clinical management guidelines and patient support need to consider the findings of this study. While resilience and self-empowerment were noted, better support through evidence-based treatment options, educated and evidence-informed HCPs and a sympathetic social support network is needed to decrease the disease burden. Living with RVVC seems an uncertain journey that, to a large degree, women feel they must navigate alone. This debilitating, life-long disease has a prolonged effect on women both physically and psychologically. Theme 4 details the significant emotional and psycho-social repercussions of RVVC. Theme 3 illustrated the consequences of a lack of HCP support leading to self-referral and self-education. Theme 2 found that health care professional (HCP) knowledge limitations impacted RVVC management. Four key themes were identified: Theme 1 outlined challenges and delays in diagnosis and clinically appropriate management. IPA revealed an uncertain journey living with RVVC for all participants ranging from initial symptoms and difficulties in obtaining a diagnosis, the trial and error of symptom management, to the overall debilitating impact of living with a personal and intimate health condition. Interviews were transcribed verbatim, and qualitative interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) was conducted. Semi-structured interviews with Australian women experiencing RVVC were conducted between April–July 2021. Recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis (RVVC) is experienced by up to 10% of pre-menopausal women globally, yet there is limited research exploring the perspective of women living with this challenging condition. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |