Pelvic pain occurs in a woman's lower abdomen and pelvis. It is considered chronic when the pain is present for at least six months. During that period it may be intermittent and somewhat painful or constant and severe.

The most common cause of chronic pelvic pain is scarring in the abdomen and pelvis following surgery, infection of the pelvis, endometriosis, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), interstitial cystitis (IC) and diseases of the urinary tract.

Symptoms associated with endometriosis and adenomyosis include abnormal menstrual periods, painful periods (dysmenorrhea), severe menstrual cramps, painful urination and bowel movements.

Pelvic adhesive disease is another cause of pelvic pain and is the reason for infertility in 15 to 20 percent of all cases. Pelvic adhesive disease is a condition in which scar tissue binds adjacent organs to each other. Normal organs glide easily against one another due to the lubricant that covers them. Scar tissue that develops over organs will cause the surfaces to stick. These bands of scar tissue are called adhesions, which often cause infertility.

When adhesions form inside or around the ends of the fallopian tubes, they may block an egg and sperm from meeting. If the tubes are partially blocked, sperm may meet the egg, but the fertilized embryo may be trapped, resulting in an ectopic pregnancy. Adhesions on the ovaries may disrupt ovulation, and those inside that uterus may prevent a fertilized egg from implanting properly.