Pelvic Pain

Pelvic pain is felt in your tummy and below your belly button. 

Common causes of pelvic pain can include:

• Constipation

• Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)

• Urinary tract infections (UTIs)

• Sexually transmitted infections (STIs)

Pelvic pain that happens suddenly for the first time is called acute pelvic pain. It’s important to speak to your GP if you have acute pelvic pain. They’ll be able to investigate the reason for the pain and help you with treatment if needed. If you’ve had pelvic pain for six months or more that’s continuous or comes and goes, this is known as chronic pelvic pain.

Chronic pelvic pain is more intense than period pain and it can last longer. On average it affects around one in six women. We’ll be exploring some of the main causes of pelvic pain throughout the page.

Period pain or discomfort is common during or before your period, but there are things you can do to help with period pain.

Period pain usually happens when your womb tightens or contracts while you’re on your period. It can be part of some people’s menstrual cycles. In some cases, having a painful period can be caused by a condition like:
•Endometriosis or adenomyosis – this is when womb tissue grows in other places of the body. We’ll be exploring this later in the page

•Fibroids – these are growths in and around the womb

•Pelvic inflammatory disease – this is an infection of the fallopian tubes, ovaries and the womb

If you have an intrauterine device (IUD), this can also cause period pain – especially during the first three or six months after it’s been put in. You might have period pain if:

•You have pain at the start of your period or a few days before your period

•You have painful cramps that spread to your back and thighs

•You have a sharp pain or dull ache in your tummy

Period pain can sometimes last for up to three days and sometimes it can affect your daily activities, but there are some things to help ease it. There are period pain relief treatments like pain relief tablets, heated pads or the Boots TENS Period Pain Relief* which can provide temporary relief for minor pain.

We’ve put together a guide of tips to help take the discomfort out of your period.

It’s important to speak to your GP if:

•Your periods become more painful, irregular or heavier

•You have pain during sex or when weeing or pooing

•You’re bleeding in between your periods

You need to ask for an urgent GP appointment or call NHS 111 if:

•Your pelvic pain or your period pain is more severe or worse than usual and pain relief hasn’t helped 

If your period pain is severe and treatment is suitable for you, Boots Online Doctor Period Pain Relief² service can help support you with treatment following an online consultation.

An ovarian cyst is a sac filled with fluid that develops on an ovary. They’re very common. In most cases, most ovarian cysts happen naturally and tend to go away without treatment in a few months.

The ovaries are two organs that are part of the female reproductive system. They are located on each side of the uterus (womb).  Ovarian cysts are fluid-filled sacs that can develop on the ovary. Some cysts contain smaller cysts which are called daughter cysts

Ovaries have two main roles:

•To release an egg about every 28 days as part of the menstrual cycle

•To release oestrogen and progesterone (two important hormones involved in reproduction)

If you have an ovarian cyst, you might have them on both ovaries or just one. There are usually no symptoms of an ovarian cyst, but in some cases, you might have symptoms, for example, if it splits or ruptures, is large or blocks the blood supply to the ovaries. In these cases, your symptoms might include:

•Pelvic pain – this could be heavy and dull or sudden, severe and sharp

•Pain during sex

•Needing to use the toilet more

•Difficulty having a poo

•A change in your periods – this could be heavier, irregular or lighter periods than normal

•A swollen tummy

•Bloating

•Feeling full after only eating a little

•Difficulty getting pregnant (ovarian cysts don’t usually affect fertility)

If you have any of the above symptoms, you need to speak to your GP. If you have severe or sudden pelvic pain, you should make sure to seek help from either:

•Your GP or local out-of-hours services

•Your nearest A&E department

There are two types of ovarian cysts:
•Functional ovarian cysts – these develop as part of the menstrual cycle and are usually mild. These are the most common type

•Pathological ovarian cysts – these form because of abnormal cell growth and they’re not very common

In some cases, ovarian cysts can be caused by other conditions like endometriosis. Most ovarian cysts are non-cancerous (benign) but in rare cases, they can be cancerous (malignant). Women who’ve been through the menopause have a higher chance of having a cancerous ovarian cyst.

If your GP thinks you have an ovarian cyst, they might refer you for an ultrasound scan. If a cyst is found, they might monitor it or refer you to a gynaecologist (a doctor who specialises in female reproductive health).

Your GP might also arrange blood tests if there’s a chance of it being cancerous. This is to look for chemicals that could indicate ovarian cancer.

Treating ovarian cysts

Ovarian cysts don’t always need treatment. Treatment depends on:

•The size and appearance

•If you have any symptoms 

•If you’ve been through the menopause

You might be offered surgery if your cysts are large, causing symptoms or have a chance of being cancerous.

Most cases of ovarian cysts are monitored. You might hear of this as “watchful waiting”. This means you won’t receive treatment right away, but you might have an ultrasound scan later to see if it goes away.

Endometriosis (en-doh–me–tree–oh–sis) is a condition where tissues that are similar to the lining of the womb grows in other places like the ovaries and fallopian tubes.

In the UK, it’s the second most common gynaecological condition and it affects an estimated one in 10 women of reproductive age. Women of any age, including teenagers can develop endometriosis. It’s a long-term condition that can impact your life but there are treatments that can help. Some symptoms of endometriosis include:
•Pelvic pain in your lower tummy or back (this is usually worse during your period)

•Period pain that can stop you from doing your normal activities

•Pain during sex or after sex

•Pain when weeing or pooing while you’re on your period 

•Difficulty getting pregnant

•Constipation, diarrhoea and feeling sick

•Blood in your wee or poo when you’re on your period

Endometriosis can also cause heavy periods which means you might be using a lot of pads or tampons. Some people bleed through their clothes.

If you have any symptoms of endometriosis, it’s important to speak to your GP – especially if your symptoms are having an impact on your life. Writing your symptoms down might help you speak to your GP about these.

We’ve got more information exploring endometriosis if you’d like to know more.

UTIs are infections that affect your urinary tract. This can include your bladder (cystitis), urethra (urethritis) or kidneys (kidney infection).

Some of the symptoms of UTIs include:

•Needing to wee more often than usual

•A burning sensation or pain when weeing – this is sometimes called dysuria

•Needing to wee more than usual at night time 

•Needing to wee urgently or suddenly more than usual

•Having wee that looks cloudy

•Having blood in your wee

•Lower tummy or pain in your back

•Having a high temperature or feeling hot 

•Having a very low temperature below 36C

Some people also have dark or smelly wee. If you only have this as a symptom, it might be because you haven’t been drinking enough water.

Children can also get UTIs. Their symptoms may include:

•Having a high temperature – they might feel hotter than usual if you touch their neck, tummy or back

•Looking generally unwell – babies and younger children might not feed or eat properly

•Wetting the bed or wetting themselves

•Being sick

For older people, frail people with problems with their memory and concentration like dementia and people who have a urinary catheter, their UTI symptoms might be different. Their symptoms might be:

•Changes in behaviour for example acting confused or agitated

•Wetting themselves more than usual

•New shaking or shivering

UTI symptoms can be eased with tablets or sachets. 

There are things you can do at home to soothe symptoms of a UTI. These include:

•Taking paracetamol to help reduce pain and lower your temperature if you have a fever (if it’s suitable for you)

•Resting

•Drinking enough fluids to help you wee regularly 

•Avoid having sex

A Boots pharmacist can provide advice and appropriate treatment for uncomplicated UTIs in women including certain prescription-only medicines as part of the NHS Pharmacy First Scheme³². They can also help by:

•Offering advice on things that can help with your symptoms

•Suggest pain relief that can help

•Tell you if you need to see a GP about your symptoms 

You need to speak to your GP if:

•You have UTI symptoms for the first time 

•Your child has UTI symptoms 

•You’re a man and you have UTI symptoms

•You’re pregnant and you have UTI symptoms 

•You’re caring for an older person or a frail person who has UTI symptoms

•You have UTI symptoms after surgery 

•Your symptoms aren’t improving or they’re getting worse after two days

•Your symptoms come back after treatment

In some cases, you might need to ask for an urgent GP appointment or speak to NHS 111. These cases include if you, your child or someone you care for might have a UTI and:
•Have a fever

•Have a low temperature (below 36C)

•Are drowsy or confused

•Have pelvic pain, pain in the lower tummy or in your back (under your ribs)

•Can see blood in your wee

These symptoms could be signs of a kidney infection. If kidney infections aren’t treated, they could cause sepsis. Boots Online Doctor Cystitis Treatment Service² can also help if you need a prescription antibiotic cystitis treatment following an online consultation.

There are several types of STIs, some of which can cause pelvic pain. We’ve done research on eight of the most common types of STIs which include:

•Chlamydia

•Genital herpes

•Genital warts 

•Human papillomavirus (HPV)

•Gonorrhoea (sometimes called the clap)

•Pubic lice (or crabs)

•Syphilis 

•Trichomoniasis 

Some STIs, like HIV, don’t have any symptoms, so you can have one without knowing and spread it during sex. The only way to know if you have one is to get tested.

Symptoms of STIs can include:

•Pain when weeing

•Having an unusual discharge from the penis, anus or vagina

•Lumps or skin growths around the anus or genitals

•Having a rash

•Unusual vaginal bleeding

•Itchy anus or genitals

•Having blisters and sores around your genitals or anus

•Having warts around your genitals or anus

•Having warts in your mouth or throat (this is very rare)

If you’re worried that you have an STI, it’s important to go for a check-up at a sexual health clinic as soon as possible. It’s also important that you don’t have sex, including oral sex without using a condom until you’ve had a check-up.

If you think you have an STI, you can go to a sexual health clinic. You should also go to a sexual health clinic if:

•You have symptoms of an STI

•A sexual partner has symptoms of an STI

•You’ve had sex without a condom and you’re worried

•You’re pregnant and you have symptoms of an STI

You can find out if you’ve got chlamydia or gonorrhoea by using the Boots Online Doctor Home Test Kits⁵. You can follow the simple steps to collect your sample and send it back to our partner laboratory for accurate testing. When your results arrive, you can also have access to advice, support and treatment options from the team of clinicians. 

Pelvic pain is less common in men, but it can be caused by conditions that affect the prostate like prostatitis.

Prostatitis is the swelling (inflammation) of the prostate gland. It can be painful, but it can get better eventually. It’s usually caused by bacteria from the urinary tract entering the prostate. The prostate is a small gland between the penis and bladder. Its job is to produce fluid that’s mixed with sperm to create semen.

Prostatitis can happen at any age, but it usually happens between 30 and 50. There are two types of prostatitis:

•Chronic prostatitis – this is the most common type and the symptoms can happen over several months

•Acute prostatitis – this is when the symptoms are severe and happen suddenly. This type is rarer but it needs treatment right away

Symptoms of prostatitis include:

•Pelvic pain (including when pooing)

•Pain when weeing

•Needing to wee more (especially at night)

•An urgent need to wee 

•Blood in your wee (sometimes)

•Not being able to wee

•Generally feeling unwell with aches, pains and a high temperature

•Having lower back pain and pain on ejaculation

If you’ve had any of the above symptoms, it’s important to see your GP straight away so this can be looked at. If you’ve had any of the symptoms for more than three months, this might be chronic prostatitis. 

Treatment depends on whether you have chronic or acute prostatitis, but your GP might suggest:
•Antibiotics

•Pain relief

•Medicines to relax the muscles in the prostate gland

•A laxative if pooing causes pain

There are lots of different causes of pelvic pain. It can be caused by an infection or if you have a condition that affects one of the organs around your pelvis like your bladder or bowel. You can find out more about the causes of pelvic pain earlier on the page. If you have concerns about your pelvic pain you should seek advice from a healthcare professional.

You can strengthen your pelvic floor by doing pelvic floor exercises. Strengthening your pelvic floor can help with urinary incontinence and relieve symptoms of pelvic organ prolapse. A strong pelvic floor is important and you can learn more about how to do pelvic floor exercises in our article. 

Easing pelvic pain depends on the cause of it. Pain relief (if it’s suitable for you) can help to ease pelvic pain, however, your GP might also suggest:

•Antibiotics

•Physiotherapy¹-like exercises for the pelvic floor muscles

•Hormone treatments