HealthInfo Canterbury
Sudden pelvic pain in women
Pelvic pain is pain in the area below your tummy button and above your legs. Sudden, or acute, pelvic pain can be caused by many different things.
Important
If you know or think you are pregnant, and get sudden pelvic pain, get urgent medical attention. You might have an ectopic pregnancy or you might be having a miscarriage.
Seek urgent medical attention if you have sudden, severe pelvic pain and feel unwell, even if you are not pregnant.
Causes of sudden pelvic pain in women
Many things can cause sudden pelvic pain, such as:
- pelvic inflammatory disease
- appendicitis
- ovulation – When your ovaries release eggs once a month, in the middle of your menstrual cycle, you can sometimes feel a sharp, sudden pain when the egg is released.
- irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
- sexually transmitted infections
- a urinary tract infection (UTI).
- an ovarian cyst.
Diagnosing causes of sudden pelvic pain
Your doctor will ask you questions about the pain, such as where and when the pain occurs, how severe it is, and how long it lasts. They'll ask about any other symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, weight loss, fever as well as your past medical history. They will examine you and may perform an pelvic examination.
Your doctor may ask for a urine sample to check for infection. If you haven't yet reached menopause, you will have a pregnancy test. If it's possible that you have a sexually transmitted infection (STI) you may need to have some swabs to check for these. You may also need a blood test to check for infection.
Sometimes you might need an ultrasound scan of your pelvis.
Sometimes, despite all these tests, doctors will not be able to find out what has caused your pain.
Treating sudden pelvic pain
Treatment will depend on the cause of the pain. Your doctor will talk to you about this.
On the next page: Long-lasting pelvic pain in women
Written by HealthInfo clinical advisers. Last reviewed September 2021.
Sources
See also:
Review key: HIPPA-13407
