Sexual & Reproductive Health

Endometriosis

Endometriosis is when tissue that resembles the uterus lining (endometrium) grows outside of the uterus. The most common location for endometriosis is in the pelvis including the ovaries, though it can also more rarely affect regions beyond the pelvis. While estimates vary, endometriosis affects approximately 1 in 10 women.

Symptoms include chronic pelvic pain, painful periods, pain with sex, pain with urination or bowel movements and infertility. These often arise in adolescence, though there is often a significant years-long delay in diagnosis, with the gold-standard for this being visual inspection via laparoscopy (key-hole surgery) with or without biopsy. During laparoscopy, endometriosis lesions may be excised or ablated, which may improve symptoms of pain and infertility. Beyond surgery, treatment of endometriosis may also involve medication, including simple pain relief and hormonal treatments.