Endometriosis is an incurable condition where tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows outside of the uterus, leading to significant pain and complications including infertility. It is estimated that endometriosis affects 1 in 10 women of reproductive age across America.
We recently spoke with Hugh Taylor, MD, Anita O’Keeffe Young Professor and Chair, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, a world-renowned expert on the disease. According to Taylor, here are five things you need to know about endometriosis.
- Endometriosis is underrecognized and underdiagnosed. On average, it takes approximately 10 years to accurately diagnose endometriosis. Two thirds of women are misdiagnosed initially and nearly half of those eventually diagnosed with the disease see five or more providers before a diagnosis. The chief symptom is pain – both during menstruation and throughout the menstrual cycle. Taylor remarked that menstrual cramps are the only type of pain that is commonly accepted as normal, and it is difficult to know when one is having an abnormal level of pain.
- Endometriosis is a systemic disease. It doesn’t just affect the reproductive tract. With his team, Taylor has shown that endometriosis can affect the intestines and mimic many of the symptoms affiliated with irritable bowel syndrome. It’s also been shown that endometriosis correlates with a higher incidence of depression and anxiety, weight changes due to pain, metabolic and digestive issues, as well as a higher risk of cardiovascular disease as women with endometriosis age.
- Endometriosis can be treated in an incremental fashion. The first line of defense for treating endometriosis is prescribing a birth control pill to halt the growth of tissue. If a woman doesn’t respond well to the pill, there are a handful of other drugs that could be prescribed with the same goal – to stop the growth of endometrial tissue outside of the uterus. But it’s estimated that oral contraceptives only provide about half of women with adequate relief from their painful symptoms.
- Endometriosis no longer needs to be diagnosed with surgery. Diagnosing endometriosis clinically, if you know what symptoms to look for, is a much easier path for patient and medical professional than an invasive surgery, shared Taylor. In fact, Taylor estimates that 90 percent of people who have cyclical, progressive pelvic pain will have endometriosis and encourages prescribing a birth control pill to see if it brings relief.
- Finally, endometriosis likely plays a role in half of infertility cases. Since endometrial tissue is growing outside of the uterus and on reproductive organs such as ovaries and the fallopian tubes, there is a high rate of infertility associated with endometriosis. Yet, women in this circumstance have often successfully pursued in vitro fertilization (IVF) to become pregnant.