Chapter 21: Pain in the Lower Abdomen

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HealthWiki > Where Women Have No Doctor > Chapter 21: Pain in the Lower Abdomen

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In this chapter:

 

In this chapter:

How to use this chapter:

1. Follow the advice for sudden, severe pain in the belly or abdomen.
2. Look up the different kinds of pain and follow the links listed there to find the problems in other parts of the book.
3. If you are still unsure of the cause of the pain, look at the questions about pain in the abdomen.
4. See information on how to examine someone with pain in the abdomen.

stomach

kidneys

intestines

appendix

fallopian tubes

ovary

bladder

womb

This area is called the lower abdomen.

Your reproductive organs are in your lower abdomen along with other internal organs.

Pain should not be a normal part of our lives—it is a sign that something is wrong. Seek care before you are so ill that you cannot stand, walk, or talk.

Most of us will have pain in the lower belly or abdomen at some time in our lives. Often women are taught that such pain is normal and should be endured in silence. Some people think that a woman’s pain is not serious until it affects standing, walking, or talking. But if we wait too long to seek care for pain, the result could be serious—infection, infertility, loss of a pregnancy, and even death.

This chapter describes different kinds of pain in the lower abdomen (below the navel) and what might be causing the pain. Some pain in the lower abdomen spreads above the navel and could have other causes. Some problems of the lower abdomen will also cause pain in the low back. If the pain seems different from what is described in this chapter, see a health worker trained to give an abdominal exam.

This page was updated:22 Jan 2024