Pelvic Pain

“Pain that is felt in your lower belly
and above your legs
is called pelvic pain”.1

Umbrella

What may the Pelvic Pain Umbrella include?

Depending on the Source (DotS) this Umbrella may include:

  • Deep Dyspareunia
  • Pelvic Pain
  • Pudendal Neuralgia

Definition

What is pelvic pain?

DotS the definition of pelvic pain may vary. The Australian) Jean Hailes for Women’s (JH) definition is:

“Pain that is felt in your lower belly and above your legs is called pelvic pain”.2

The (United Kingdom) NHS definition is:

“Pelvic pain is felt in the lower part of your tummy. The type of pain varies, and it may be sudden and severe (acute pelvic pain) or last 6 months or longer (chronic pelvic pain)”.3

Chronic Pelvic Pain

What is chronic pelvic pain?

DotS the definition of chronic pelvic pain may vary. In Chronic Pelvic Pain In Women: Symptoms & Causes – Overview the (United States) Mayo Clinic’s definition is:

“Chronic pelvic pain is pain in the area below the bellybutton and between the hips that lasts six months or longer”.4

Women

Is pelvic pain more common in women?

In Pelvic Pain: Pelvic Pain In Women the NHS elaborate on:

“Pelvic pain is more common in women and common causes include:

  • Period pain
  • Conditions affecting female reproductive organs, such as an ovarian cyst or endometriosis
  • Pelvic pain in pregnancy

Rarely it could be something more serious, like an ectopic pregnancy, womb cancer or ovarian cancer”.5

Common or Not

How common is pelvic pain in women?

In For Women and AFAB the Pelvic Pain Foundation of Australia note:

“Pelvic pain affects around one in five women and people assigned female at birth at some point in their lives, yet it remains a condition that is often misunderstood and rarely discussed”.6

Endometriosis

What is endometriosis?

DotS the definition of endometriosis or “endo” may vary. In Endometriosis: What Is Endometriosis?s the JH elaborate on:

“Endometriosis is a condition where tissue, similar to the lining of the uterus, grows in other parts of your body. The tissue that grows outside your uterus bleeds around the time you have your period.

Endometriosis is associated with pain and inflammation”.7

In Endometriosis: Symptoms of Endometriosis the JH note:

“People with endometriosis can have different symptoms. The severity of symptoms is not related to the number or extent of endometriosis lesions a person has”.8

Pudendal Neuralgia

What is pudendal neuralgia?

In Pudendal Neuralgia: Disease Information – Summary the (United States) Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center elaborate on:

“Pudendal Neuralgia occurs when the pudendal nerve is injured, irritated, or compressed. Symptoms include burning pain (often unilateral), tingling, or numbness in any of the following areas: buttocks, genitals, or perineum (area between the buttocks and genitals). Symptoms are typically present when a person is sitting but often go away when the person is standing or lying down. The pain tends to increase as the day progresses. Additional symptoms include pain during sex and needing to urinate frequently and/or urgently”.9

Look for A Pattern

Can keeping a record of the symptoms help?

In Pelvic Pain: Know the Different Causes and When To Seek Help – Key Advice for Persistent Pelvic Pain the JH note:

“3.Keep track of your symptoms in a form that is easy and accessible for you”.10

Health Care Provider

What if I think I have pelvic pain?

If you think you have pelvic pain, it may be in your best interest to choose to talk to your health care provider about this.

In Pelvic Pain: A Note From Cleveland Clinic the (United States) Cleveland Clinic explain:

“You should reach out to your healthcare provider if your pelvic pain lasts more than a few days, keeps returning or interferes with your daily life. They can help identify the cause and find the right treatment so you can start feeling better”.11

In Pelvic Pain: Know the Different Causes and When To Seek Help – Key Advice for Persistent Pelvic Pain the JH elaborate on:

  1. “If you feel you are not being heard by your doctor or health professional, do not be afraid to seek a second opinion
  2. A multidisciplinary team (one made up of experts in different fields) has been shown to be the best for managing persistent pelvic pain. Chronic pain is not just the immediate pain, but also involves and affects a number of areas of health and life, so approaching it from different angles and treating the whole person is crucial. The multidisciplinary team can include a specialist women’s health GP, a gynaecologist, a a pain specialist, a physiotherapist, a psychologist, a sexual counsellor, a naturopath and other complementary therapists”.12

Health Topics A-Z

Where may I find Health Topics A-Z related to Pelvic Pain?

In Health Topics A-Z you may find:

Health Topics A-Z

Links

Where may I find Links related to Pelvic Pain?

Your Country may have Links similar to:

Links

This Links List to third party websites is neither comprehensive nor exhaustive. Inclusion on this Links List does not imply endorsement or recommendation. Non-inclusion on this Links List does not imply non-endorsement or non-recommendation. Third party websites are not under the control of Meno Martha International Menopause Directory. Third party websites may contain explicit medical images and/or sexual references. Please read Meno Martha International Menopause Directory’s Links Policy before proceeding to a Link. Please contact Webmaster if you experience a problem with a Link.

New or Updated

  1. 10 Ways To Reduce Pain
  2. An Irritable Bowel
  3. Bad Headache or Migraine
  4. Basic Female Anatomy & Endometriosis [Video]
  5. Bladder Pain
  6. Chronic Pelvic Pain
  7. Chronic Pelvic Pain: Symptoms & Causes
  8. Deep Pelvic Pain / Deep Dyspareunia
  9. Diagnosis
  10. EMAS On-Demand Webinars [European Menopause and Andropause Society] [Multiply Languages]: Postmenopausal Endometriosis and Chronic Pelvic Pain
  11. Endometriosis
  12. Endometriosis
  13. Endometriosis: About Endometriosis [+ Videos]
  14. Everything You Need To Know About Endometriosis | Dr Louise Newson
  15. FAQs: Chronic Pelvic Pain
  16. FAQs: Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID)
  17. For Women and AFAB
  18. Gynecologic Cancer Awareness
  19. Gynecologic Cancers
  20. How To Find Relief From Chronic Pelvic Pain
  21. How To Talk To Your Doctor About Painful Sex
  22. IPPS Informational Handouts [International Pelvic Pain Society]
  23. “Just a period” [+ Video: Ever Been Told That It’s “Just a period?”]
  24. Links of Interest
  25. May Is Pelvic Pain Awareness Month: Move Against Pelvic Pain
  26. Mayo Clinic Minute: When To Seek Care for Pelvic Pain [+ Video Courtesy: Mayo Clinic News Network]
  27. Pelvic Pain Mayo Clinic Q and A: Endometrial Ablation When Pelvic Pain or Endometriosis Are Present
  28. Mayo Clinic Q and A: Struggling With IBS Symptoms
  29. Medications
  30. Menopause Map: Downloadable Resources – My Personal Path Print Tools: Symptom Tracker
  31. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health: Consumer Information on Pain
  32. National Pain Week: Highlighting Persistent Pelvic Pain
  33. Online Events [International Menopause Society]: Past Webinars – 2025: The Burn, the Itch, the Pain, the Urge: GSM In Women
  34. Pain Where You Sit – Pudendal Neuralgia
  35. Pelvic Exam
  36. Pelvic Exam Techniques
  37. Pelvic Floor Health | Dr Louise Newson LIVE
  38. Pelvic Inflammatory Disease
  39. Pelvic Inflammatory Disease
  40. Pelvic Inflammatory Disease
  41. Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID)
  42. Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID): Diagnosis
  43. Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID): Treatment
  44. Pelvic Pain
  45. Pelvic Pain
  46. Pelvic Pain Pelvic Pain
  47. Pelvic Pain Conditions
  48. Pelvic Pain In Australian Women 2023
  49. Pelvic Pain In Women and AFAB
  50. Pelvic Pain: Causes
  51. Pelvic Pain: Know the Different Causes and When To Seek Help
  52. Pelvicpain.org [International Pelvic Pain Society]
  53. Pelvicpain.org [International Pelvic Pain Society]: Find A Healthcare Professional
  54. Pelvicpain.org.au [Pelvic Pain Foundation of Australia]
  55. Pelvicpain.org.uk [Pelvic Pain Support Network, United Kingdom]
  56. Pelvicpain.org.uk [Pelvic Pain Support Network, United Kingdom]: Resources and Clinics
  57. Period Pain & Symptom Diary
  58. Period Symptom Checker
    Pelvic Pain
  59. Periods Information Hub
  60. Periods (Menstruation) [Other Languages and Formats]
  61. Persistent Genital Arousal Disorder
  62. Persistent Pelvic Pain
  63. Pudendal.hope.info [Health Organization for Pudendal Education]
  64. Pudendal Neuralgia
  65. Pudendal Neuralgia
  66. Questions for Your Health Professional
  67. Supportincontinence.org [Support Incontinence, United Kingdom]
  68. Symptom Checker: Pelvic Pain In Adult Females
  69. Talking About Pelvic Pain
  70. The Impact of Pelvic Pain Is Vastly Underestimated
  71. The Overlapping Impact of Pelvic Pain & GI Disorders In Endometriosis
  72. Treatment
  73. Understanding Long-Term (Chronic) Pelvic Pain
  74. Video Animation for Women: Persistent Pelvic Pain
  75. Wfipp.org [World Federation of Incontinence and Pelvic Problems]
  76. What Causes Pelvic Pain In Women?
  77. What Could Be Causing Pain In Your Pelvis?
  78. Why We’re Zeroing In on Pelvic Pain
  79. Your Pelvic Floor: The Forgotten Muscles

Sources

Where may I find the Sources quoted?

You may find the Sources quoted at:

Sources

  1. Pelvic Pain: Know the Different Causes and When To Seek Help. Date Added: 02 August 2022. Jean Hailes for Women’s Health https://www.jeanhailes.org.au/news/pelvic-pain-know-the-differences-and-when-to-seek-help Accessed: 06 March 2026
  2. Pelvic Pain: Know the Different Causes and When To Seek Help.  Date Added: 02 August 2022. Jean Hailes for Women’s Health https://www.jeanhailes.org.au/news/pelvic-pain-know-the-differences-and-when-to-seek-help Accessed: 06 March 2026
  3. Pelvic Pain. Page Last Reviewed: 24 November 2025. NHS https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/pelvic-pain/ Accessed: 06 March 2026
  4. Chronic Pelvic Pain: Symptoms & Causes – Overview. 15 November 2024. Mayo Clinic https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/chronic-pelvic-pain/symptoms-causes/syc-20354368 Accessed: 06 March 2026
  5. Pelvic Pain: Pelvic Pain In Women. Page Last Reviewed: 24 November 2025. NHS https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/pelvic-pain/#sudden-unexpected-pelvic-pain Accessed: 06 March 2026
  6. For Women and AFAB. Pelvic Pain Foundation of Australia https://www.pelvicpain.org.au/for-women/ Accessed: 06 March 2026
  7. Endometriosis: What Is Endometriosis? Last Updated: 11 November 2025 | Last Reviewed: 11 November 2025. Jean Hailes for Women’s Health https://www.jeanhailes.org.au/health-topics/endometriosis/ Accessed: 06 March 2026
  8. Endometriosis: Symptoms of Endometriosis. Last Updated: 11 November 2025 | Last Reviewed: 11 November 2025. Jean Hailes for Women’s Health https://jeanhailes.org.au/health-a-z/endometriosis/symptoms-causes Accessed: 06 March 2026
  9. Pudendal Neuralgia: Disease Information – Summary. Last Updated: February 2026. Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center https://rarediseases.info.nih.gov/diseases/10713/pudendal-neuralgia Accessed: 06 March 2026
  10. Pelvic Pain: Know the Different Causes and When To Seek Help – Key Advice for Persistent Pelvic Pain. Date Added: 02 August 2022. Jean Hailes for Women’s Health https://www.jeanhailes.org.au/news/pelvic-pain-know-the-differences-and-when-to-seek-help Accessed: 06 March 2026
  11. Pelvic Pain: A Note From Cleveland Clinic. Last Updated: 26 January 2026. Cleveland Clinic https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/symptoms/12106-pelvic-pain Accessed: 06 March 2026
  12. Pelvic Pain: Know the Different Causes and When To Seek Help – Key Advice for Persistent Pelvic Pain. Date Added: 02 August 2022. Jean Hailes for Women’s Health https://www.jeanhailes.org.au/news/pelvic-pain-know-the-differences-and-when-to-seek-help Accessed: 01 May 2025
Topic Last Updated: 06 March 2026 – Topic Last Reviewed: 06 March 2026

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