Aims and objectives To identify and describe the experience of healthcare encounters among women with endometriosis. Background Endometriosis is a “hidden” chronic gynaecological disease appearing in every 10th woman of fertile age. Different manifestations of pain are the main symptoms, often leading to impaired physical and mental health, and lower quality of life. Previous research on healthcare experiences among women with endometriosis has focused on diagnostic delay and experiences of encountering general practitioners. Design A qualitative, interpretive, phenomenological approach was used. Methods We interviewed nine women aged 23–55, with a laparoscopy‐confirmed diagnosis of endometriosis. The interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim. The data were analysed following the steps of the interpretive phenomenological approach. Results Two themes were identified in the interview transcripts: being treated with ignorance and being acknowledged. The essence: “the double‐edged experience of healthcare encounters” emerged from the themes. The women's experience was double‐edged as it involved contradictory feelings: the encounters were experienced as both destructive or constructive. On the one hand, the destructive side was characterised by ignorance, exposure and disbelief. On the other hand, the constructive side made the women feel acknowledged and confirmed, boosting their self‐esteem. Conclusions The new and important aspects of the findings are that the experience of healthcare encounters is for the first time expressed as double‐edged: both destructive and constructive. The experience was of specific importance as it affected the women's perceptions of themselves and of their bodies. Relevance to clinical practice The information about the constructive side of the experience is of clinical valuable for all healthcare professionals (nurses, midwives and doctors) encountering these women, as it provides a new level of understanding of the experiences. The findings demonstrate both psychological and practical aspects that can help professionals to improve the encounters.

Introduction: Endometriosis is a gynecological disorder that may cause considerable pelvic pain in women of fertile age. Determining pain mechanisms is necessary in order to optimize the treatment of the disease. The objective of the study was to evaluate pain thresholds in women with persistent pelvic pain with and without confirmed endometriosis, and healthy, unaffected controls, and analyze how pain thresholds in these cohorts related to duration of pelvic pain, quality of life, and symptoms of anxiety and depression. Material and methods:Pain thresholds for heat, cold and pressure were assessed with quantitative sensory testing on six locations on a reference group of 55 healthy women and on 37 women with persistent pelvic pain who had been admitted for diagnostic laparoscopy on the suspicion of endometriosis. Validated instruments were applied to assess quality of life and symptoms of anxiety and depression. Data were analyzed by means of uni-and multivariate analysis of variance and Spearman's rank-order correlation. Results:The women with persistent pelvic pain had significantly lower pain thresholds compared with the reference women. In the women with pain, no differences were observed in pain thresholds between women with (n = 13) and women without (n = 24) biopsy-proven endometriosis. The duration of pelvic pain correlated significantly positively with reduced pain thresholds, ie, the longer the duration, the more sensitization. In the persistent pelvic pain group, pain thresholds for heat correlated significantly with the Short Form Health Survey 36 dimension of bodily pain, and thresholds for cold correlated with Short Form Health Survey 36 bodily pain and with symptoms of depression. Conclusions:Our results showed widespread alterations in pain thresholds in women with persistent pelvic pain that are indicative of central sensitization and a time-dependent correlation. Women with pelvic pain and suspicion of endometriosis should probably be treated more thoroughly to prevent or at least minimize the concomitant development of central sensitization. K E Y W O R D Schronic pain, endometriosis, health-related quality of life, pain thresholds, persistent pelvic pain, quantitative sensory testing, sensitization

The aim of this study was to identify and describe young women"s experiences of pelvic examination (PE). Qualitative interviews were conducted with nine women aged 18-23, who had undergone at least one PE. Data were analyzed using an interpretative phenomenological approach. Three general themes were identified: (1) relinquishing and regaining control, (2) facilitation of the situation by the examiner, and (3) PE is an unpleasant necessity. These general themes had a common structure that represented the essence: an intimate situation. The women experienced PE as an intimate situation, which they associated with their sexuality. They felt exposed both bodily and mentally, and were placed in a vulnerable situation. PE was considered as unpleasant, but necessary to confirm their health. During the PE, the women felt that they lost control of the situation by exposing their intimate parts. To regain control, the women felt a need for continuous information from the examiner. The vulnerable situation could be made less vulnerable if the examiner built a trusting relationship and made the women feel secure and seen as individuals. A deeper understanding of the situation from the women"s perspective could facilitate the examiner"s performance of PE, leading to more positive experiences among young women.

Background The Pain Sensitivity Questionnaire (PSQ) is a self‐rating instrument developed as a time‐ and cost‐saving alternative to quantitative sensory testing (QST). The aims of the study were to assess (a) the associations between PSQ scores and QST in women with persistent pelvic pain and in pain‐free controls and (b) to what extent demographic variables and psychological distress influenced PSQ scores. Methods Fifty‐five healthy women and 37 women with persistent pelvic pain participated. All filled in the PSQ and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and had QST (heat, cold and pressure pain thresholds) performed on six locations on the body. Information on age, body mass index, smoking habits and pain duration were collected. Principal component analysis and orthogonal partial least square regressions were used. Results The patients scored significantly higher on PSQ than the controls. Significant multivariate correlations between pain thresholds and PSQ scores were found only in the patient group. In the patient group, the heat and cold pain thresholds correlated more strongly with PSQ scores than the pressure pain threshold. Conclusions The PSQ score was significantly higher in pelvic pain patients, and correlations between QSTs and the PSQ were only found for patients. Significance The PSQ reflects pain sensitivity in women with PPP and can be used as a non‐invasive and painless way to assess this condition in clinical practice.

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Background and aimsPsychological traits such as pain catastrophizing may play a role in the development of chronic pelvic pain (CPP). Pain catastrophizing is the tendency to amplify negative cognitive and emotional pain processes. The Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS) assesses elements of pain catastrophizing divided into three subgroups of factors (rumination, helplessness and magnification). Previous studies have shown associations between CPP and increased pain sensitivity, widespread generalized hyperalgesia, and decreased pain thresholds, but the relation between pain catastrophizing and specific pain thresholds has not yet been widely examined in this patient group. The aims of this study were (a) to determine if catastrophizing is increased in women with CPP compared with pain-free women, (b) to assess the importance of pain catastrophizing, psychological distress variables, and subjective pain sensitivity for pain thresholds of heat, cold and pressure in these two groups, and (c) to determine whether psychological variables or pain thresholds best contribute to the differentiation between CPP and controls.MethodsThirty-seven women with chronic pelvic pain who underwent diagnostic laparoscopy on the suspicion of endometriosis participated along with 55 healthy and pain-free controls. All underwent quantitative sensory testing on six locations on the body to determine heat (HPT), cold (CPT) and pressure (PPT) pain thresholds. The PCS, the Pain Sensitivity Questionnaire (PSQ), the Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale, (HADS) demographics and clinical data were collected prospectively. Principal component analysis and orthogonal partial least square regressions were used to assess the associations between PCS scores and pain thresholds.ResultsThe women with CPP scored significantly higher on PCS than the healthy controls. PCS-helplessness, PCS-rumination and HADS-depression were significantly associated with pain thresholds for the whole group. In the CPP group, PCS-rumination, body mass index and PSQ were significant regressors for HPT and CPT. The PCS and the HADS subscales were strongly intercorrelated in women with CPP and were stronger regressors of group membership than the three pain thresholds. In the group of healthy control women, no relationships were found to be significant. The psychological variables were somewhat stronger significant regressors than pain thresholds (also significant) for group membership.ConclusionsWomen with CPP have significantly higher pain catastrophizing scores than women without CPP. The pain catastrophizing rumination factor is significantly associated with pain thresholds of heat and cold in CPP women. PCS and HADS are strongly intercorrelated and PSQ correlates positively with these variables. It seems that the psychological variables are important for group differentiation.ImplicationsThe results clearly indicate the need for a multimodal assessment (bio-psycho-social) of CPP patients including psychological symptoms such as catastrophizing, anxiety and depression. The registration of semi-objective pain thresholds captures both specific pain sensitivity information (mechanical pressure, cold or heat) and the degree of wide spread pain hypersensitivity. There is a need for future larger studies investigating whether certain profiles in the clinical presentations (including pain thresholds and psychological variables) are associated with outcomes after different types of interventions.

The majority of the women were satisfied after their hysterectomy. The women with pelvic pain and endometriosis were at a higher risk of being dissatisfied. Pelvic pain per se seemed to be the main factor affecting the rating in the PREMs and PROMs, and the endometriosis was a significant contributing factor.

The primary aim of the study was to analyze differences in post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) and quality of life (QoL) between women with and without severe fear of childbirth postpartum (PP FOC). The secondary aims were to analyze the correlation between PP FOC and PTSS, and PP FOC and QoL, in women undergoing complicated childbirth. This cross-sectional study was conducted in South-East Sweden. Women aged ≥ 18 years who had undergone complicated childbirth (i.e., acute or emergency cesarean section, vacuum extraction, child in need of neonatal care, manual placenta removal, sphincter rupture, shoulder dystocia, or hemorrhage ≥ 1000 ml) were invited. Seventy-six women answered demographic questions and three validated instruments measuring PP FOC, PTSS, and QoL. The study population was divided into two sub groups: severe PP FOC or no severe PP FOC. Statistical analyses were conducted using Mann–Whitney U-test, chi-square test or Fisher’s exact test, and Spearman’s rank-order correlation. Severe PP FOC was reported by 29% of the women, and 18% reported PTSS indicating post-traumatic stress disorder. Women with severe PP FOC reported significantly higher levels of PTSS, and significantly lower QoL in five dimensions: physical role functioning, emotional role functioning, energy/fatigue, emotional well-being, and social functioning. There was a positive significant correlation between level of PP FOC and PTSS. There were also significant negative correlations between level of PP FOC and most of the QoL dimensions. In conclusion, almost one-third of the women with complicated childbirth reported severe PP FOC, and almost one-fifth reported PTSS indicating post-traumatic stress disorder. PP FOC correlated with PTSS and deteriorated QoL.