Pelvic pain and endometriosis

Many conditions can cause pelvic pain and can be a combination of physical, psychological and/or social factors rather than a single underlying condition, although for many women a cause cannot be found. At your appointment you will be asked to describe your pain, what helps it and what makes it worse and how it affects your life. The doctor will need to take details of your past medical history and may need to perform a pelvic examination and take swabs to make sure there are no infections.

It is possible that an ultrasound will be needed to look for conditions such as ovarian cysts and this scan is often performed with a scan probe within the vagina. A separate appointment is given for ultrasound and this may have already been arranged by your GP. Occasionally a different type of scan called an MRI is needed.

Your doctor will discuss a treatment and management plan with you which will depend on what is causing the pain.

For women who require complex surgery and care due to endometriosis we have a dedicated endometriosis clinic and are a recognised as an endometriosis centre. Our endometriosis team includes a variety of gynaecologists who have an interest in endometriosis, colorectal surgeons, anaesthetists specialising in the management of chronic pain and a specialist nurse.

See our leaflets for more information.

Good sources of patient information on endometriosis can be found on various websites including:

https://www.rcog.org.uk/en/patients/patient-leaflets/endometriosis/