Pelvic Pain

All women will at some time experience pelvic pain associated with events such as menstruation, ovulation, or sexual intercourse. Pelvic pain may be either visceral or somatic in origin. Visceral pain is transmitted by the autonomic nervous system and presents as a vague, deep, dull sensation that is difficult to localise and may even present as referred pain. Somatic pain on the other hand is usually constant with sharp periods of exacerbation and is well localised over the affected area. The differential diagnosis of pain in the pelvis can be subdivided as follows: acute; subacute; and chronic. Any acute cause of pain, even with appropriate initial management, may lead on to a chronic condition. A history of episodes of acute pelvic pain, increased number of sexual partners, and a higher incidence of psychosexual trauma as a child may be present.