The below blog post has been written by the research team, and details of how to participate in the research can be found at the bottom of this post. Verity have sighted the ethics approval granted for the recruitment of this study. Please note that the condition previously known as PCOS is now referred to as PMOS; some researchers and clinicians may still use the term PCOS during this transition period.
Introduction
If you live with chronic pelvic pain, please consider taking part in this research
This research explores the way that people with chronic pelvic pain understand their identity. In particular, it explores whether this is linked to social support, mental health, pain beliefs, living according to values and the impact of pain on day-to-day life.
About the Study
Although there are different definitions of chronic pelvic pain, this research is focused on pain lasting 6 months or more in the lower abdomen or pelvis that is related to (a) gynaecological condition(s). Examples include endometriosis, adenomyosis, fibroids, and polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS) (formerly known as polycystic ovary syndrome/PCOS), among others.
The study has been ethically approved by the University of Buckingham.
What’s Involved?
- an anonymous online survey that takes around 15-20 minutes to complete
- participation is voluntary and you are free to leave the survey at any time
Who Can Take Part?
The survey is open to anyone who:
Is 18 years old or over
Experiences pelvic pain of suspected or diagnosed gynaecological origin
Has been experiencing pelvic pain for 6 months or more (con|tinuous or intermittent)
Is fluent in English
You do not need a diagnosis to participate in this research. If your pain is suspected to be due to a gynaecological cause then you can take part. You can take part whether your pain is continuous or if it comes and goes.
Why Take Part?
We are exploring how the way identity is understood might link to mental health and a variety of psychological characteristics. This is important as this could help to improve understanding of how people experiencing identity challenges in chronic pelvic pain could be supported.
How to Get Involved
To find out more or to access the survey please follow the QR code on the advert or use this link: https://run.pavlovia.org/pavlovia/survey-2025.2.0/?surveyId=15b8df07-c49f-4efd-abd4-94e64d231182
About the Researcher(s)
Lisa Pye is a PhD student researching chronic pelvic pain and identity at the University of Buckingham.
Closing & Contact
Thank you for reading!
If you know of anyone else who might be willing to participate in this research, please do share the study details with them.
If you have any questions about the study, please email the researchers using the email addresses on the first page of the survey.
Verity - The PCOS charity 