Lichen Sclerosus

And Planning A Family

Aug 21, 2008 Joanna Karpasea-Jones

A distressing skin condition called Lichen Sclerosus goes undiagnosed in many women and may deform your genitals, making it impossible to have sex, and therefore a baby.

Lichen Sclerosis can affect women, men and even children, but the majority of cases occur in women. Tiny skin lesions that look like little white spots develop on the vulva, anus and sometimes the labia and clitoris.

In boys and men it occurs at the tip of the penis and is usually corrected by a circumcision. Rarely, it can affect other areas of the body, but it is most common in the genital region.

The white spots are intensely itchy, causing the sufferer to scratch. In turn, repeated scratching can exacerbate the condition and lead to scarring. Eventually the skin thins out and can crack and bleed. A woman may find that sexual intercourse becomes painful and that her partner tears her during sex. She may also find it difficult to urinate as it could burn due to the skin lesions.

If the condition is not managed, the labia could fuse together and the vaginal cavity atrophy. This narrowing makes sexual intercourse impossible. In rare cases, the vaginal opening may close altogether and this requires surgery - called a Fenton's Procedure - to correct. This would be to remove excess scar tissue at the vulva and widen the vaginal opening.

There is a small risk that women with lichen sclerosus will go on to develop skin cancer (between 3 and 6% of sufferers) and the condition is directly related to immune system disorder (auto-immunity).

Implications For Conception And Pregnancy

Obviously if sex is painful and difficult, or impossible, then getting pregnant can be a challenge. Your first step is the diagnosis and management of your condition. Unfortunately there is no cure for lichen sclerosus but it can be controlled so that you can live a normal life.

Sometimes hormone treatments are offered but these will not be suitable for use in pregnancy.

Steroid cream applied to the area daily is the most common treatment, such as Dermovate cream which will reduce inflammation. If used regularly and long-term, your skin may recover and it may be possible to resume a healthy sex life and to achieve a pregnancy. You will get 'flare ups' in the future, but you can manage these.

Dermovate cream, and some other steroid creams, are suitable for use in pregnancy and breast feeding. If you are thinking of starting a family, talk to your dermatologist.

Childbirth

Many women are afraid of giving birth, quite understandably, with this type of genital condition. However, women who manage their condition effectively have given birth vaginally with minimal after-effects. The skin around the perineum will be more prone to splitting, so massaging a lubricant into the area for a few weeks prior to the birth may help. Also choose a position which reduces the risk of tearing. Speak to your midwife or nurse midwife for advice on positioning.

Sometimes, if your condition is severe, a caesarean section may be advised.

The copyright of the article Lichen Sclerosus in Infertility is owned by Joanna Karpasea-Jones. Permission to republish Lichen Sclerosus in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Vulval Pain Can Really Get You Down

Comments

Sep 9, 2008 10:50 AM

Guest :

im so scared of giving birth, i hae a 18 month year old, and i was diagnosed with lichen schlosis after i gave birth, now im pregnant with my second and have had huge flare ups recently, scared im going to ruin myself even more, we need more info what happens to the ladys that gave birth with this condition, where would women find this info

Sep 11, 2008 8:42 PM

Guest :

It's so true. It's depressing and ongoing skin tears. Fear of not being able to find a marriage partner with this peri-menopausal darn condition.

2 Comments