Unveiling experiences of women living with persistent pelvic pain about their diagnostic uncertainty: A qualitative descriptive study.

Persistent pelvic pain (PPP) is an umbrella term for many common and often debilitating conditions that are associated with pain in the pelvis for at least six months, which requires prompt medical care (Bruckenthal, 2011; Merskey & Bogduk, 2011). Approximately 15–20% of women and people assigned female at birth experience PPP (Ahangari, 2014). A diagnosis and an explanation for their PPP are what women most desire from a consultation with a healthcare professional (Price et al., 2006). A diagnosis is beneficial because it can provide clarity and help steer decision-making on treatment options. However, there are many barriers to receiving a timely PPP diagnosis. Diagnostic uncertainty is a phenomenon largely unexplored in women with PPP. Moradi et al., (2014) reported the experiences of women with endometriosis and the effect of diagnostic uncertainty on their lives. This qualitative study found that diagnostic uncertainty negatively affected the daily life and psychological well-being of women with endometriosis (Moradi et al., 2014). With other PPP conditions, women have reported that they felt socially unvalued without a diagnosis, that their pain is especially difficult to cope with, and they link it to psychiatric symptoms (Grace, 1998; Van der Kloot, 2010). However, there have been no specific in-depth investigations into how diagnostic uncertainty is experienced in women across various PPP conditions. A better understanding of diagnostic uncertainty in women with PPP may help improve how women are cared for in clinical practice (Meyer et al., 2011).