Experiences of Chronic Pelvic Pain in Aotearoa New Zealand

Abstract

In the context of Aotearoa New Zealand, chronic pelvic pain is a common yet under-researched gendered experience, associated with significant impairment in quality of life. Dominant constructions of chronic pelvic pain are produced by a medical model of health, which informs the public healthcare system, and therefore broader readily available understandings of these conditions. My research explores experiential accounts of living with chronic pelvic pain using a critical realist theoretical approach, informed by nuances from critical health, critical disability, and feminist theories. I interviewed 23 participants about their experiences of chronic pelvic pain in the context of in Aotearoa New Zealand. I developed an analysis of 3 overarching themes: the first demonstrating expressions of ‘loss’ in day-to-day life; the second exploring uncertainty of a disability identity in relation to chronic pelvic pain; the third discussing the difficulties experienced when engaging with the healthcare system. These three themes encapsulate an experiential analysis of CPP in daily function, sense of identity, and systemic medical care, and this analysis forms the basis for my critical discussion of CPP in Aotearoa New Zealand.