Pain in women's health: a multi-faceted approach toward understanding.

Pain has always been a part of women's health experiences, inherent to such physiologic processes as menstrual cramping, labor contractions, and uniquely female illnesses, such as cervical or ovarian cancer. However, the understanding of pain-its nature, its purpose, and its sometimes debatable need for removal-remains elusive. Pain's origins are in the physical realm, but it is manifested through an array of psychological, social, and cultural factors.