Scarlet Kaitlin Wallen, a 21-year-old woman from Barrington, US, recently shared her struggle with a rare medical condition that has “ruined her life.” Wallen suffers from Persistent Genital Arousal Disorder (PGAD), a condition where a person, especially a woman, gets uncontrollable arousal. Her symptoms began at the age of six and experiences constant “pins-and-needles” sensations in her private area. Soon after she turned 13, Wallen felt occasional relief but the discomfort used to resurface later. Meanwhile, alongside other challenges such as OCD, she also struggled to connect with others, as she had anxiety and the fear of experiencing unbearable pain with her peers.
As she grew older, Wallen’s condition intensified and by the age of 15, she experienced very few pain free days. To manage the sensations, she started applying vaporub in her genitals to distract from the extreme pain. Despite the severe side effects, such as thrush, caused by the rub, Wallen found temporary relief from PGAD.
As per New York Post, Scarlet Kaitlin Wallen explained, “By 18, I was quite certain my body was attacking me. So I wrote a letter to my parents. I didn’t want to tell them face to face but it was getting so bad, I couldn’t hide it from them anymore. I wrote that I had this non-stop nerve pain that wasn’t even pain, it was worse. I told them it was something I had no control over.”
Her parents supported her by taking her to the San Diego Sexual Medicine Clinic in California, where she received treatment. During the treatment, she was diagnosed with other sexual dysfunctions, including post SSRI sexual dysfunction caused by antidepressants and numbness in the genitals. Additionally, she was found to be suffering from congenital neuroproliferative vestibulodynia, a condition that increases the sensitivity to touch in the pelvic nerves. Wallen underwent a procedure to remove some of her genital nerves, to alleviate her pain.
Scarlet Kaitlin Wallen added, “I’d been experiencing pain for as long as I remember. My vulva was constantly burning, it was like I was naturally aroused but I didn’t want it. There’s nerve pain, it’s not wanted and there’s no pleasure. I’m hopeful I’ll be able to have a painless sexual relationship in my lifetime. In my brain it was like, I didn’t want to feel this. I wanted to be playing outside.”
During the treatment, Wallen’s doctor discovered several complications, including a duplicate vagina, which was unrelated to her PGAD. In February 2023, she underwent a surgery to remove the septate vagina wall, a procedure from which she recovered in just a week. Later, on September 8, Scarlet underwent a vestibulectomy, during which only parts of the painful tissue were removed. The 21-year-old remains hopeful that one day she will be able to lead a normal life, free from her rare medical condition.
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