Endometriosis and pelvic pain, explained plainly

Why does endometriosis take so long to diagnose?

Women wait an average of 7 to 11 years for an endometriosis diagnosis. Here are the five reasons behind the delay, what it costs, and how to shorten your own wait.

How is endometriosis diagnosed?

A step-by-step guide to how endometriosis is diagnosed today: symptom history, pelvic exam, transvaginal ultrasound, MRI and laparoscopy, and when each one is actually needed.

Endometriosis flare-up relief

A plain guide to endometriosis flare-ups: what a flare is, the triggers women report in studies, self-care that has evidence behind it, the signs that mean emergency care, and what to record so your next visit is useful.

Endometriosis and lower back pain

Endometriosis can cause lower back pain that worsens around your period. Learn why it happens, how it differs from a muscular backache, and what to tell your doctor.

Endometriosis and leg pain

Endometriosis can cause pain, tingling or weakness in the hip, buttock and leg, often around your period. Learn how it happens, the red flags, and who should evaluate it.

Endo belly: bloating and endometriosis

"Endo belly" is the sudden, painful abdominal bloating many women with endometriosis experience. Learn what causes it, how it differs from IBS, and what actually helps.

Endometriosis bladder symptoms

Endometriosis near or in the bladder causes urgency, frequency, burning and pelvic pressure that worsen around your period, with negative urine cultures. Learn the signs and how it is diagnosed.

Endometriosis bowel symptoms

Bowel endometriosis causes painful bowel movements, cyclical constipation or diarrhea, bloating and sometimes rectal bleeding around your period. Learn how it differs from IBS and how it is treated.

Painful periods or endometriosis?

Most period pain is primary dysmenorrhea, not endometriosis. Here is how doctors tell them apart, the nine signs that point to endometriosis, and when to stop waiting and see a specialist.

Adenomyosis vs endometriosis

Adenomyosis and endometriosis are related but distinct. One grows inside the uterine wall, the other outside the uterus. Learn how symptoms, diagnosis and treatment differ, and why they often occur together.

Excision vs ablation surgery

Excision removes endometriosis lesions so they can be examined; ablation destroys their surface with heat or laser. A plain reading of the trials, the Cochrane review and the guidelines, why deep and bowel disease changes the picture, and the questions to ask a surgeon.

Endometriosis stages explained

Endometriosis is staged I to IV with the rASRM point system, and deep disease is mapped with #Enzian. What the stages describe, how they are determined, why stage 4 does not mean the worst pain or no chance of pregnancy, and what to ask.

Endometriosis vs IBS

Endometriosis and irritable bowel syndrome share bloating, cramping, constipation and diarrhea, and women with endometriosis are about three times as likely to carry an IBS label. The clues that point toward endometriosis, the Rome IV criteria for IBS, and how tracking symptoms against your cycle helps.

Laparoscopy recovery, week by week

A week-by-week guide to recovering from laparoscopy for endometriosis: the NHS and RCOG timelines for showering, driving, work, exercise and sex, what pain relief and recurrence the evidence shows, and the warning signs that need a call.

How to choose an endometriosis specialist

Any licensed doctor can use the words "endometriosis specialist". This guide explains the training routes behind the title, six checks with the questions to ask under each, the red flags that should make you pause, how referrals and second opinions work, and what to bring to the first visit.

Chronic pelvic pain in women

Chronic pelvic pain affects roughly one in seven women. A guide to its causes, from endometriosis and adenomyosis to pelvic floor dysfunction and pelvic nerve pain, and how a proper evaluation works.

Pelvic nerve pain and pudendal neuralgia

Burning, electric pain in the perineum, genitals or rectum that worsens with sitting may be pudendal neuralgia or another pelvic nerve problem. Learn the Nantes criteria, the link to endometriosis, and what treatment involves.

Pain during sex: causes and what helps

Pain during or after sex is common and treatable. Learn the difference between pain at the entrance and deep pelvic pain, the role of endometriosis and the pelvic floor, and how it is evaluated.

Pelvic floor dysfunction symptoms and treatment

Pelvic floor dysfunction causes pelvic pain, constipation, urinary urgency, incomplete emptying and pain with sex. Learn the difference between a tight and a weak pelvic floor, the link to endometriosis, and how physical therapy treats it.

How PelviQuest uses AI to flag likely endometriosis earlier

An honest explanation of how PelviQuest uses a standardized questionnaire, physician examination and a machine-learning model to produce a 0 to 100 screening score for endometriosis, where the data comes from, and the limits of the approach.

PelviQuest for clinicians

How the PelviQuest clinician platform works: a standardized pelvic pain intake questionnaire, structured examination documentation, a screening score, visit reports, scheduling, and HIPAA-aligned controls.