ABSTRACT
In order to put into context the incidence and prevalence of chronic or long-term urogenital pain, it is useful to have an overall understanding of long-term pain and the nature of the studies that are conducted to collect this information. The “perfect” study to provide this information does not exist, so a number of different sources provide useful guidance. As with any scientific report, study design and sources of error should be carefully considered. Here are some pertinent questions to consider when assessing people with long-term pain:
& How is the pain defined? & Is the way this information is gathered from the subjects valid? & Is the way that patients are selected likely to be representative of the group being studied?
