Women With Chronic Pelvic Pain Have a Negative Experience With Doctors

Clinicians continue to dismiss women with chronic pelvic pain.

Key Points

Highlights: 

• The experience of women with chronic pelvic pain with the healthcare system is negative.

Importance:

• This study contains suggestions that could improve the delivery of care for women experiencing chronic pelvic pain.

What’s done here:

• Researchers analyzed the results of semi-structured interviews conducted with 22 women who experienced chronic pelvic pain and who reported to an ambulatory endometriosis center.
• The women were divided into 2 groups: those who had a history of sexual trauma (13 women), and those who did not (9 women).

Key results:

• All women reported having been repetitively dismissed by clinicians, having had to undergo unnecessary tests, and having had a delay in diagnosis.

Limitations:

• This is a single-center study and the experiences of other women may not be the same.

Lay Summary

Women with chronic pelvic pain have a negative experience with the healthcare system, according to a study by US researchers published in the International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. This is the case regardless of whether or not they have had a history of sexual trauma. These women have clear needs and preferences about their gynecological care, the authors of the study said, and added that they could “provide feasible suggestions for improving care delivery”.

In order to assess the experiences and care preferences of women with chronic pelvic pain who seek gynecological care, the team led by Dr. Carly P Smith from Abri Radically Open DBT, in Portland, Oregon conducted a qualitative study in 22 women, ages 18 to 55 who visited an ambulatory endometriosis center.

The women were divided into 2 groups: those who had a history of sexual trauma (13 women), and those who did not (9 women).

Then, semi-structured interviews were conducted by a clinical psychologist and a gynecological surgeon.

The results showed that all women, whether they have had a history of sexual trauma or not reported having been repetitively dismissed by clinicians and as a result experienced delays in diagnosis. 

The women said that the clinicians did not listen to them, did not allocate enough time for the appointment, and tested them unnecessarily, such as for sexually transmitted infections, urine infections, and with ultrasound scans. 

They added that the interaction with the clinician was “pivotal” in coping with pelvic pain and sexual abuse. 

Finally, the women gave feedback about trauma-informed practices and care delivery specifically for patients with chronic pelvic pain.

Research Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36457127/