The NICHD funds and conducts research on many disorders that affect the organs in a woman's abdominal and pelvic areas. In general, most of these disorders don't directly affect a woman's changes of getting pregnant naturally. Some of these conditions include:

Pelvic Floor Disorders
Pelvic Pain
Vaginitis
Vulvodynia

Pelvic Floor Disorders

The term "pelvic floor" refers to the group of muscles that form a sling or hammock across the opening of the pelvis. These muscles, together with their surrounding tissues, keep all of the pelvic organs (bladder, uterus, and rectum) in place so that the organs function correctly. A "pelvic floor disorder," then, is a problem with these muscles or the surrounding tissues that leads to dysfunction of one or more of the pelvic organs.

An estimated one-fourth of all women are affected by one type of pelvic floor disorder. Nearly 10 percent of that group will undergo surgery to correct a pelvic floor disorder.

Although researchers know little about the causes or features of pelvic floor disorders, research in underway on a variety of topics related to pelvic floor disorders. In July 2001, the NICHD established the Pelvic Floor Disorders Network (PFDN) to support research projects that examine problems related to pelvic floor disorders. The PFDN includes seven clinical sites around the country, and a central data collection center. Through this research, the NICHD hopes to learn more about: normal pelvic floor function, the characteristics of known pelvic floor disorders, the effects of hormones on these conditions, injury during vaginal delivery and how it is related to these conditions, and the development of tools to help health care providers understand the level of function, dysfunction, or pain.

For more information on pelvic floor disorders, please visit http://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/Pelvic_Floor_Disorders.cfm.

Pelvic Pain

Pelvic pain is a general term that health care providers use to describe steady pain, or pain that comes and goes, that occurs mostly or only in the lower abdomen area. In some cases, the pain might be severe and might get in the way of daily activities; in other cases, the pain might be dull and occur only during the menstrual cycle. Pelvic pain also describes pain that occurs during sexual intercourse.

In general, pelvic pain signals that there may be a problem with one of the organs in your pelvic area: uterus, ovaries, fallopian tubes, cervix, vagina, lower intestines, or rectum. Or, it might be a symptom of an infection.

For more information on pelvic pain—including patient support organizations, please visit http://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/Pelvic_Pain.cfm.

Vaginitis

Vaginitis (va-jinn-EYE-tiss) is a term used to describe any disorder that causes swelling or infection of both the vulva and the vagina. Vaginitis is different from vulvodynia because it affects the vagina, which is inside the woman's body; vulvodyina only affects the vulva, which is outside the woman's body.

For more information on the common types of vaginitis and possible treatments, please visit http://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/vaginitis.cfm.

Vulvodynia

Vulvodynia (vul-voh-DINN-nee-uh) is the term used to describe chronic discomfort or pain of the vulva, especially burning, stinging, irritation, or rawness of the area. Health care providers don't agree on the exact definition of vulvodynia. Currently, the term is used to describe a variety of conditions. Researchers estimate that as many as 18 percent of women will experience symptoms consistent with vulvodynia.

In an effort to learn more about this condition, its symptoms, and possible treatments, the NICHD joined the NIH Office of Research on Women's Health (ORWH) and the NIH Office of Rare Disease Research (ORDR) in sponsoring a workshop, Vulvodynia: Toward Understanding a Pain Syndrome, on April 14-15, 2003. The proceedings were published in 2004 as Vulvodynia: Toward Understanding a Pain Syndrome.

The NICHD also joined the ORWH, the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, the NIH Pain Consortium, and other partners, to establish the Vulvodynia Awareness Campaign. You can order your free copy of the Vulvodynia: Research, Resources, and Hope packet through the NICHD Web site. You can also view the ORWH fact sheet on vulvodynia in English and Spanish.

For more information about vulvodynia—including patient support organizations, please visit http://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/Vulvodynia.cfm.