Pelvic pain is a general term that health care providers use to describe steady pain, or pain that comes and goes, that occurs mostly or only in the lower abdomen area. In some cases, the pain might be severe and might get in the way of daily activities; in other cases, the pain might be dull and occur only during the menstrual cycle. Pelvic pain also describes pain that occurs during sexual intercourse.
In general, pelvic pain signals that there may be a problem with one of the organs in your pelvic area: uterus, ovaries, fallopian tubes, cervix, vagina, lower intestines, or rectum. Or, it might be a symptom of an infection.
Your health care provider will likely conduct a number of tests to find the cause of your pain. Treatment varies by what the cause is, how intense the pain is, and how often the pain occurs. Sometimes pain medication is the best option. Other times, an antibiotic may be necessary. If the pain results from a problem with one of your pelvic organs, for example, if you find out that you have endometriosis, then your treatment may be more involved.
The International Pelvic Pain Society offers patient information about pelvic pain and chronic pelvic pain, as well as some suggestions for how to talk with your health care provider about pelvic pain.
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