Chronic Female Pelvic Pain

What Increases Your Risk

Factors that increase a woman's risk of developing female pelvic pain that becomes chronic include:

• Pregnancy and childbirth that have stressed the back and pelvis, including delivery of a large baby, a difficult delivery, or a forceps or vacuum delivery.²
• A history of childhood or adult physical or sexual abuse. About half of women with chronic female pelvic pain report abuse in their past.¹
• A history of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID).³
• A history of radiation therapy or surgery of the abdomen or pelvis (including some surgeries for urinary incontinence²).
• Past or current diagnosis of depression. Pain sensation and depression seem to be interrelated.
• Alcohol or drug abuse.
• An abnormal structure (congenital abnormality) of the uterus, cervix, or vagina.⁴

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Author:	Kathe Gallagher, MSW Carrie Henley	Last Updated: March 30, 2007
Medical Review:	Renée M. Crichlow, MD - Family Medicine Kirtly Jones, MD - Obstetrics and Gynecology Donald Sproule, MD, CM, CCFP, FCFP - Family Medicine
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