A person with chronic pelvic pain has repeated episodes of pain that occur in the area below the umbilicus and between the hips.

Chronic pelvic pain is most common in women between the ages of 18 and 45. This is because chronic pelvic pain in women is caused by an abnormality in one of the reproductive organs located in the pelvis.

Those with new episodes of pelvic pain should undergo an abdominal pain evaluation, because gastrointestinal causes must be excluded. Also, pelvic pain that occurs during pregnancy should be evaluated as abdominal pain in pregnancy.