Adverse Childhood Experiences Among Gynecology Patients With Chronic Pelvic Pain

OBJECTIVE:To compare adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) in women with chronic pelvic pain with a control group, and describe occurrence of specific ACEs in women with chronic pelvic pain. METHODS:This case-control study examined the relationship between history of ACEs, traumatic events occurring during childhood as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and chronic pelvic pain. Patients diagnosed with chronic pelvic pain (n=60) were age-matched to a control group of women without chronic pelvic pain (n=60). All participants completed validated measures to detect for presence of any of the 11 ACEs as identified by the CDCʼs Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System ACE Module. RESULTS:Mean participant age was 40 (±11 years). Total numbers of ACEs were elevated in chronic pelvic pain participants compared with a control group (median 4 [interquartile range 2–6] vs median 1 [interquartile range 0–4], P