Glossary

Adenomyosis is a condition similar to (and often experienced along with) endometriosis—sometimes considered a sister disease of endometriosis—where the endometrium sneaks into the walls of the uterus and begins to grow there as well.

Adhesions are bands of scar tissue that can form inside the body. Think of them as strings of chewing gum stuck between your fingers. Like gum, adhesions stick (or adhere) organs and other internal tissues together. Pulling of the adhesions can be a cause of pain.

Pelvic adhesions can form in the pelvis, usually following surgery, but can also occur because of infection (like pelvic inflammatory disease) or later stages of endometriosis.

Anodyspareunia is pain during receptive anal sex—which is pretty common (for same-sex and other-sex partners).  

The cervix is the passageway between the vagina and the uterus. It’s a spongy little mound that looks like a pudgy, pink donut.

The clitoris is the Shangri-La, the El Dorado of pleasure, but a lot easier to find. It sits between the labia (or lips) and under the clitoral hood (which… looks like a hood)! But don’t be fooled—there’s more to the clitoris than what you can see on the surface!

Comorbidity is the medical term for when a person has two or more illnesses or disorders. For instance, endometriosis and adenomyosis are common comorbid conditions.

Dyspareunia is the medical term for painful receptive vaginal sex. There are two general buckets dyspareunia falls into:

1. Deep: pain or discomfort during sex that is felt deeper in the body
2. Primary/superficial: pain or discomfort that is felt in the vulva and/or the entrance of the vagina

Endometriosis is when tissue very similar to the endometrium starts growing outside the uterus (like on the fallopian tubes and the bowels).

The endometrium is essentially the wallpaper of the uterus. The uterus has multiple layers, and the endometrium is the innermost layer that sheds with each menstrual period.

An episiotomy is a surgical incision through the vaginal wall and the perineum that helps make room for a baby during a vaginal birth. All doctors performing episiotomies should be given direct consent by the birthing parent.

The fallopian tubes are like two little highways that jut out on either side of the uterus. They catch and transport the eggs that are released from the ovaries during ovulation.

Fecal incontinence is the involuntary leakage of poop (feces) and gas. This can happen to anyone and for a variety of reasons—including pelvic floor dysfunction  and/or pelvic organ prolapse. While fecal incontinence can happen to anyone at any age, it’s more common after vaginal birth or with aging.

The fourth trimester is the early months after the delivery of a baby. Access to healthcare is still vitally important for both the parent and child after birth. But don’t take our word for it, just ask the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists!

• MTF: Male to female gender affirmation or “bottom” surgery, also called neo-vaginoplasty, is a procedure some transgender women choose to have that involves the creation of a neovagina.
• FTM: Female to male gender affirmation or “bottom” surgery is a procedure some trans men choose to have that involves the creation of a neo-penis. 

A health disparity is a preventable difference in the incidence of an illness, injury, or the accessibility of care between populations. In the United States, and throughout the world, racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic health disparities are common.

A hysterectomy is the surgical removal of the uterus, and sometimes the ovaries, fallopian tubes, and cervix. A hysterectomy can be performed either open or laparoscopically. A laparoscopic hysterectomy is generally safer (considered minimally invasive and requires less recovery time. However, sometimes an open hysterectomy is the only option (given the condition, or (unfortunately) the skill set of available providers).

Interstitial cystitis is a mystery condition where there’s prolonged (more than six weeks) pain and what feels like pressure throughout the pelvis, often accompanied by a frequent and urgent need to pee. Kind of sounds like a sci fi movie starring Matthew Mcconaughey.

Laparoscopy is a surgical method that uses several small incisions and the help of a camera and specialized instruments to perform a procedure. In many instances, laparoscopic surgery is preferred because it is less invasive and requires less cutting—which means shorter healing time and smaller scars.

Lichen (pronounced liken or Lycan if you also got too into the Underworld movies) sclerosus is a skin condition of unknown origin, though hormones and the immune response have been implicated. It’s characterized by thin, white patches of skin most often on the vulva, and is most common post-menopause. These patches can cause itching, discomfort, easy bruising and tearing, and can sometimes cause painful lesions. Lichen sclerosus can also lead to “architectural changes” to the vulva (this includes potential loss of the inner labia and partial blockage of the urethral opening—where the pee comes out), and may put patients at a greater risk for certain vulvo-vaginal cancers.

Menopause is when menstrual periods permanently end, usually occurring around age 45 (though earlier menopause can occur because of removal or injury of the ovaries. This is usually indicated when someone hasn’t had a period in 12 months. Menopause leads to hormonal changes which can result in vaginal dryness and urinary incontinence. These changes can cause painful sex for a lot of folks.

Mullerian agenesis, also known as vaginal agenesis, is a congenital condition in which the uterus, and sometimes the upper portion of the vagina, is absent.

Myalgia is the medical term for muscle pain.

Myomectomy is the surgical removal of individual uterine fibroids. Myomectomies are less invasive than hysterectomies, a common surgical treatment option for fibroids that is not always necessary.

Neuralgia is nerve pain. It may feel like a shooting or burning pain, and follows the path of a nerve. Some pelvic pain can be caused by damage or irritation to the pudendal nerve, resulting in pudendal neuralgia.

Ovarian cysts are fluid filled sacs that may grow in or on the ovaries, and are a normal part of ovulation.

Truth: Most everyone who menstruates has cysts.

Each cycle, follicular cysts form, each housing a little egg inside it. Typically only one egg will mature to the point where it can be released, leading its surrounding cyst to rupture and freeing the egg. Pain can occur when these cysts either a) never rupture or b) release an egg, close up, and begin filling with fluid again.

The ovaries are essentially little egg holders and hormone factories. People with ovaries are born with all their eggs, which just hang out until puberty hits and the ovaries are tasked with the maturation of those eggs to be released each month(ish).

Ovulation is when a mature egg is released from the ovaries and transported via the fallopian tubes (link) to the uterus (link). There the egg will hang out until it's either fertilized or the lining of the uterus starts sloughing off (that, my friends, is a period). This usually happens about once a month—though some people will release more than one egg in a cycle (like if fraternal twins run in your family or if you're nearing menopause).

The pelvic floor is the complex muscle hammock that supports the bladder, bowel, and uterus.

Pelvic floor dysfunction is when the muscles of the pelvic floor are not functioning normally—meaning they may be too tight or too weak, which can cause pain and/or urinary, bowel or sexual dysfunction.

Physical therapy (generally speaking) uses a movement, exercise, manual therapy, and electrotherapy to improve or restore mobility and function. In the case of pelvic floor physical therapy (also known as ‘Pelvic PT’), these techniques are used to rehabilitate the muscles of the pelvic floor and the surrounding structures.

Pelvic physical therapy may be suggested to treat chronic pelvic pain, painful sex, postpartum complications, urinary or bowel challenges, or even conditions such as endometriosis and vaginismus.

The perineum, also fondly known as the taint, is the area between the anus (butthole) and the vaginal opening.

In Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, the ovaries are filled with many smaller cysts, which can cause the ovaries to grow larger. PCOS can cause irregular periods, heavy bleeding, excess hair growth, acne, weight gain, hair thinning and loss, development of dark patches of skin, and headaches. Thankfully, hormonal birth control can be a great treatment option for people who aren’t trying to become pregnant!

Prolapse is when a part of the body bulges or slips down past where it normally sits. There are different types of pelvic organ prolapse.

1. Cystocele: when the bladder falls into the vaginal canal
2. Rectocele: when the colon bulges into the vagina(link)
3. Enterocele: when the small intestine bulges into the vagina
4. Uterine prolapse: when the uterus(link) slips down towards the vagina

The prostate is the walnut-sized gland that sits between the bladder and the penis, just in front of the rectum. It’s tasked with making fluid that feeds and helps move sperm along.

Referred pain is when pain that originates in one part of the body is felt in another. For example, pain that starts in the uterus may feel like bladder or lower back pain. It can happen anywhere in the body, but it is especially common in the pelvic and reproductive organs.

A tilted uterus refers to a uterus that is tilted back at the cervix instead of forward. It kind of looks like the uterus is on the subway and really doesn’t want to sit that close to its fellow passenger, the bladder.

Sexual dysfunction is a broad umbrella term that describes a challenge during some phase of the sexual response cycle. Traditional definitions make this sound pretty spooky, so we’ll break it down a little differently and call sexual activity “gettin’ funky.” So, sexual dysfunction can mean:

• Difficulties with arousal (trying to get funky, but your body is feeling decidedly not funky);
• Desire (persistently not wanting anything to do with funkytown);
• Orgasm (you’ve been gettin’ funky for a while now, but that big dance move you want to do juuust isn’t happening);
• And pain (the ride to funkytown is not as it used to be or was described to you, we need to dedicate more tax dollars to infrastructure).

Urinary incontinence is the involuntary leakage of pee (urine), and while it can happen to anybody, it is most common post-baby, post-menopause, and for people who are experiencing prostate gland challenges.

Fibroids are muscular tumors that grow in the uterine wall, either inside or outside the uterus. Thankfully, they’re usually benign (not today, cancer!). But they can lead to some nasty symptoms in about 30% of patients, including pelvic pain, pain during sex, and extremely heavy & painful periods.

The uterus is a muscular pouch that’s sandwiched between the bladder and the tail end of the digestive system. It’s baby’s first bedroom, if you’re into that kind of thing.

The vagina is a moist and stretchy muscular tube that can measure anywhere from 2-4 inches in length when not aroused (and can lengthen to 4-8 inches when aroused), traveling from the entrance of the vagina (called the introitus) to the cervix.

A vaginal dilator is a cylindrical object with a smooth tapered end that can be used to expand the width and depth of the vagina as well as help the vaginal opening become less sensitive and promote muscle relaxation. They come in a wide variety of sizes and materials (and colors!)—here are some of our favorites:

Vaginismus is when the pelvic floor muscles are very tight, making penetration impossible or very painful.

The vulva, which you can think of as the neighborhood of the vagina, is the area located between the mons pubis (the fleshy mound below the belly) and the perineum. Home of the labia majora and minora (AKA the outer and inner lips), vaginal opening, urinary opening (that’s right, there are two holes!), and the clitoris.

Vulvodynia is chronic, unexplained vulvar pain. It is most commonly localized (pain only occurs at one spot on the vulva), but can also be generalized (occurring at more than one spot at different times).