Sexual behavior and findings on laparoscopy or laparotomy in women with severe chronic pelvic pain.

Objective: To identify features of sexual behavior in women with and without chronic pelvic pain.

Study Design: A group of 41 women with chronic pelvic pain of more than 6 months' duration and scheduled to undergo laparoscopy or laparotomy were surveyed to obtain information on their sexual activity. The results were compared with a control group of 86 women of similar age and socioeconomic status who underwent planned tubal ligation for permanent contraception.

Results: Women with pelvic pain initiated sexual relations at a later age and had a higher rate of dyspareunia than women in the control group. There were no significant differences between groups in any other characteristics of sexual behavior.

Conclusion: Dyspareunia, the only feature of sexual relations that differed significantly between women with and without chronic pelvic pain, should be accorded greater attention as a painful symptom and not be dismissed as simply a type of sexual dysfunction.