Ariella R Tabaac1, Cindy Chwa2, Megan E Sutter3, Stacey A Missmer4, Elizabeth R Boskey5, S Bryn Austin6, Frances Grimstad7, Brittany M Charlton8. 1. Division of Adolescent/Young Adult Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA. Electronic address: Ari.Tabaac@childrens.harvard.edu. 2. Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA. 3. Department of Population Health, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA. 4. Division of Adolescent/Young Adult Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Biology, College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University, Grand Rapids, MI, USA; Channing Division of Network Medicine, Brigham & Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA. 5. Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA; Center for Gender Surgery, Department of Plastic and Oral Surgery, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA. 6. Division of Adolescent/Young Adult Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA; Channing Division of Network Medicine, Brigham & Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA. 7. Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Division of Gynecology, Department of Surgery, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA. 8. Division of Adolescent/Young Adult Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA; Channing Division of Network Medicine, Brigham & Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Population Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute, Boston, MA, USA.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Sexual minority (lesbian, bisexual, mostly heterosexual) young women face many sexual and reproductive health disparities, but there is scant information on their experiences of chronic pelvic pain, including an absence of information on prevalence, treatment, and outcomes. AIM: The purpose of this study was to describe the characteristics of chronic pelvic pain experiences of young women by sexual orientation identity and gender of sexual partners. METHODS: The analytical sample consisted of a nationwide sample of 6,150 U.S. young women (mean age = 23 years) from the Growing Up Today Study who completed cross-sectional questionnaires from 1996 to 2007. OUTCOMES: Age-adjusted regression analyses were used to examine groups categorized by sexual orientation identity (completely heterosexual [ref.], mostly heterosexual, bisexual, lesbian) and gender of sexual partner (only men [ref.], no partners, both men, and women). We examined differences in lifetime and past-year chronic pelvic pain symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, and quality of life outcomes. Sensitivity analyses also examined the role of pelvic/gynecologic exam history and hormonal contraceptive use as potential effect modifiers. RESULTS: Around half of all women reported ever experiencing chronic pelvic pain, among whom nearly 90% had past-year chronic pelvic pain. Compared to completely heterosexual women, there was greater risk of lifetime chronic pelvic pain among mostly heterosexual (risk ratio [RR] = 1.30, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.22-1.38), bisexual (RR = 1.30, 95% CI: 1.10-1.52), and lesbian (RR = 1.23, 95% CI: 1.00-1.52) young women. Additionally, compared to young women with only past male sexual partners, young women who had both men and women as past sexual partners were more likely to report chronic pelvic pain interfered with their social activities (b = 0.63, 95% CI: 0.25-1.02), work/school (b = 0.55, 95% CI: 0.17-0.93), and sex (b = 0.53, 95% CI: 0.05-1.00). CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Healthcare providers, medical education, and field-wide standards of care should be attentive to the way sexual orientation-based healthcare disparities can manifest into differential prognosis and quality of life outcomes for women with chronic pelvic pain (particularly bisexual women). STRENGTHS & LIMITATIONS: Our study is the first to examine a variety of chronic pelvic pain outcomes in a nationwide U.S. sample across different outcomes (ie, past-year and lifetime). Though limited by sample homogeneity in terms of age, race, ethnicity, and gender, findings from this article provide foundational insights about chronic pelvic pain experiences of sexual minority young women. CONCLUSION: Our key finding is that sexual minority women were commonly affected by chronic pelvic pain, and bisexual women face pain-related quality of life disparities. Tabaac AR, Chwa C, Sutter ME, et al. Prevalence of Chronic Pelvic Pain by Sexual Orientation in a Large Cohort of Young Women in the United States. J Sex Med 2022;19:1012-1023.
BACKGROUND: Sexual minority (lesbian, bisexual, mostly heterosexual) young women face many sexual and reproductive health disparities, but there is scant information on their experiences of chronic pelvic pain, including an absence of information on prevalence, treatment, and outcomes. AIM: The purpose of this study was to describe the characteristics of chronic pelvic pain experiences of young women by sexual orientation identity and gender of sexual partners. METHODS: The analytical sample consisted of a nationwide sample of 6,150 U.S. young women (mean age = 23 years) from the Growing Up Today Study who completed cross-sectional questionnaires from 1996 to 2007. OUTCOMES: Age-adjusted regression analyses were used to examine groups categorized by sexual orientation identity (completely heterosexual [ref.], mostly heterosexual, bisexual, lesbian) and gender of sexual partner (only men [ref.], no partners, both men, and women). We examined differences in lifetime and past-year chronic pelvic pain symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, and quality of life outcomes. Sensitivity analyses also examined the role of pelvic/gynecologic exam history and hormonal contraceptive use as potential effect modifiers. RESULTS: Around half of all women reported ever experiencing chronic pelvic pain, among whom nearly 90% had past-year chronic pelvic pain. Compared to completely heterosexual women, there was greater risk of lifetime chronic pelvic pain among mostly heterosexual (risk ratio [RR] = 1.30, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.22-1.38), bisexual (RR = 1.30, 95% CI: 1.10-1.52), and lesbian (RR = 1.23, 95% CI: 1.00-1.52) young women. Additionally, compared to young women with only past male sexual partners, young women who had both men and women as past sexual partners were more likely to report chronic pelvic pain interfered with their social activities (b = 0.63, 95% CI: 0.25-1.02), work/school (b = 0.55, 95% CI: 0.17-0.93), and sex (b = 0.53, 95% CI: 0.05-1.00). CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Healthcare providers, medical education, and field-wide standards of care should be attentive to the way sexual orientation-based healthcare disparities can manifest into differential prognosis and quality of life outcomes for women with chronic pelvic pain (particularly bisexual women). STRENGTHS & LIMITATIONS: Our study is the first to examine a variety of chronic pelvic pain outcomes in a nationwide U.S. sample across different outcomes (ie, past-year and lifetime). Though limited by sample homogeneity in terms of age, race, ethnicity, and gender, findings from this article provide foundational insights about chronic pelvic pain experiences of sexual minority young women. CONCLUSION: Our key finding is that sexual minority women were commonly affected by chronic pelvic pain, and bisexual women face pain-related quality of life disparities. Tabaac AR, Chwa C, Sutter ME, et al. Prevalence of Chronic Pelvic Pain by Sexual Orientation in a Large Cohort of Young Women in the United States. J Sex Med 2022;19:1012-1023.
Authors: Maria Pyra; Kathleen M Weber; Tracey E Wilson; Jennifer Cohen; Lynn Murchison; Lakshmi Goparaju; Elizabeth T Golub; Mardge H Cohen Journal: Am J Public Health Date: 2014-10-16 Impact factor: 9.308