I'm a 23-year-old mother of a two-year-old. For about the last six months I have had really heavy and painful periods. In between my periods I have stabbing pains on both sides of my lower abdomen, about where my ovaries are. I also have pain during intercourse in the same area. My family doctor diagnosed a yeast infection and treated it, but I continue to have the same pain. I would really appreciate any suggestions.

--Gabriella

Without the benefit of an exam and a more complete history, I can only note that your symptoms sound a lot like endometriosis. Endometriosis is a condition in which the tissue that lines the uterine cavity gets outside the uterus and cycles with the rest of the uterine lining, causing pain. With a good history and thorough exam, your doctor can make the diagnosis, but the only truly definitive way to know for sure whether or not you have endometriosis is to look inside via laparoscopy, a minor surgical procedure.

A gynecologist is the type of doctor you should see for these problems. Often we can try medical therapy like birth control pills, Depo-Provera or Lupron to suppress presumed endometriosis. Various pain medications may also be used in conjunction with this medical therapy. A gynecologist can also diagnose or rule out ovarian cysts or serious pelvic infections as the cause of your pain.