How is chronic pelvic pain diagnosed?
Your doctor will talk to you about your medical history and symptoms, plus your personal and sexual health history. Then the doctor will gently examine your pelvic and abdominal areas and do a rectal exam. If you feel pain or tenderness during any part of the exam, speak up. These are hints as to the possible cause of your symptoms. The doctor will likely do some other tests. You may have a pregnancy test to rule that out as a possible cause for pelvic pain. Other blood tests might also be done. Your doctor may also test a urine sample for infections such as urinary tract infection. Cultures may be taken to check for sexually transmitted diseases. Next, your doctor may suggest a transvaginal ultrasound. This involves placing a probe into the vagina. The probe sends sound waves to a machine to create images of structures inside the pelvis. If further testing is needed, a CT scan or MRI may be suggested. What are causes of chronic pelvic pain? Underlying conditions that can lead to chron
