[Epidemiology of chronic pelvic pain]

EPIDEMIOLOGY OF CHRONIC PELVIC PAIN. The prevalence of chronic pelvic pain (CPP) varies widely in literature due to varying definitions of cases and to the diversity of populations studied. Estimates range from 2.1% to 30.9% among women in existing studies, with a French study from 2021 estimating this prevalence at 17.3%. Among men, specific data on the prevalence of CPP is lacking, although the prevalence of chronic prostatitis has been estimated between 2.2% and 12.2%. The incidence of CPP is largely under-assessed. Only one 1999 study addresses this topic and shows a relatively stable incidence over time, with an average of 1.58 per 1,000 women per month. In addition, a 2005 study observed an incidence of 3.30 per 1000 person-years for chronic prostatitis. It is essential to acquire more recent data to more robustly assess this incidence. Finally, regarding the study of associated items, most of them are related to psychological factors (depression and anxiety) for both sexes and to history of abuse (including sexual and physical abuse) among women.