A 28-year-old woman presents with intermittent pelvic pain and dysmenorrhea that have progressively worsened over the last six months. She also reports deep pain during intercourse. What are potential causes and the next steps?
These symptoms suggest a possibility of endometriosis, a condition where tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows outside the uterus, but it could also be due to other causes such as pelvic inflammatory disease or ovarian cysts. The next steps would be a detailed pelvic examination, possibly supplemented by ultrasound imaging. If these findings are suggestive of endometriosis, a laparoscopic procedure may be necessary for definitive diagnosis.