Although troublesome, these occur mostly in women with regular periods and who have the ability to get pregnant. Women who have fertility problems are often pain free. An exception to this may be with a condition called endometriosis, where there is an overgrowth of uterine tissue outside the uterus.
Painful periods start just before the period and continue for the first day or two.
The pain can be sharp or dull. It may be felt in the abdomen, vagina or thighs. It can be so severe that some women may faint, vomit, or stay in bed. There are chemicals, called prostaglandins, that are released from our female organs with the normal period. These are the pain causing chemicals in our body.