This condition can cause chronic pain and infertility in women.
Understanding Endometriosis
Endometriosis is a disorder in which tissue that is similar to the tissue that typically lines the inside of the uterus grows outside of it instead. This painful condition often affects the ovaries, fallopian tubes, and the tissue lining the pelvis. Endometriosis is a serious health issue that can lead to infertility or difficulty getting pregnant. According to Yale Medicine, endometriosis affects up to 10% of women of reproductive age and is behind at least 50% of pelvic pain cases in women.
Risk Factors
While the exact cause of endometriosis is unknown, doctors have determined certain risk factors, which include starting your period at an early age, short menstrual cycles, never giving birth, low body mass index, a family history of the disorder, and other medical conditions that prevent the passage of blood from the body during menstruation.
Effects of Endometriosis
Women with endometriosis may experience painful menstrual cramps, abnormal or heavy periods, infertility, and other gastrointestinal problems. Endometriosis is also a major cause of infertility, which affects 30 to 50% of women with endometriosis. In some cases, infertility may be temporary, and surgery to remove scar tissue can restore reproductive facilities.
Treatment and Outlook
In mild cases, endometriosis only requires pain medication and nothing more. However, in more severe cases, treatment may include hormone therapy and surgical techniques like laparoscopies and laparotomies to remove scar tissue. In extreme cases, a hysterectomy may be necessary. If you suspect you have endometriosis, it’s important to talk to your doctor to develop a treatment and pain management plan that works best for you.
An Expert Weighs In
“Endometriosis is an insidious disease that can start with severe pain as early as 1-2 years after a young lady starts her menstrual cycle. We are talking about 16 years old. The problem is that society has normalized this monthly pain and brushes it off as immaturity or just an over-the-top female, and goes with the ‘suck it up buttercup’ attitude! These ideas are not medically true, and no one needs to be ignored when pain is disrupting your life at any age.”
Shevonda Sherrow, MD
OB-GYN, Innovative Women’s Health Specialists
Meet the Author
Rachel Studebaker, BA, English, Summa Cum Laude
Rachel Studebaker is a graduate of Lee University where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English with a minor in advertising. While attending Lee, Rachel served as editor-in-chief and creative director for the school’s biannual publication Vindagua and was a member of Sigma Tau Delta English Honors Society. Since joining CMC Publications as editor, Rachel has assumed the role of managing editor, where she is responsible for the annual development and completion of seventeen publications involving health, wellness, and lifestyles articles that are published in print and online for HealthScope, CityScope, and Choose Chattanooga magazines – premier publications serving S.E. Tennessee and North Georgia.
