Endometriosis – what is it and what further steps need to be made?

What is Endometriosis?

• The NHS defines endometriosis as “a condition where tissue similar to the lining of the womb starts to grow in other places, such as the ovaries and fallopian tubes” [1].

• The causes of endometriosis are unclear but there are a few theories.

• One is based upon retrograde menstruation, which is the movement of endometrial tissues through the fallopian tubes during menstruation [2].

• Other theories are: that genetic predisposition, environmental factors, lifestyle, and immune disorders can contribute to the genesis of endometriosis [2].

Who is Affected by Endometriosis?

• Endometriosis is a debilitating chronic illness that affects approximately 10% of people who were assigned as female at birth who are at a menstruating age – which is an estimated 176 million people worldwide [3].

• Despite the stark number of those inflicted with endometriosis, it lacks the appropriate awareness.

• Endometriosis UK suggests that 54% of people do not know what endometriosis is, escalating to 74% of men [4], this needs to be addressed by the NHS, possibly through a public health campaign.

• Furthermore, the NHS only published the clinical guidelines for endometriosis in 2017 [5].

Endometriosis Diagnosis

• Symptoms of endometriosis and their intensity vary from patient to patient [1].

• Physical symptoms of endometriosis can include intense period pain, nausea, and fertility issues [1].

• Additionally, there are psychological symptoms like depression [1].

• A large issue in endometriosis diagnosis is that it takes on average 8 years to reach a diagnosis in England [3].

• When considering the debilitating symptoms of endometriosis, this just highlights the gravity that the 8 year wait for a diagnosis can have on a person’s life [3].

• Reasons for this include the gender pain gap, in this case where the pain associated with menstruation is dismissed by others [3].

Endometriosis Treatment

• Treatments for endometriosis include painkillers, hormone therapies, surgically removing endometriosis tissue and affected organs [1].

• However, there are calls for more research into endometriosis treatment as there is no highly effective curative treatment and more access to endometriosis specialist services in the UK [3].

• Moreover, endometriosis costs the UK economy £8.2 billion a year due to healthcare costs and loss of work [3], so more effective treatments would have a huge benefit to society as well as more importantly the patient’s health and wellbeing.

Lucy Jones

I-Medics Ambassador, May 2022

Works Cited

[1] NHS, "Overview Endometriosis," NHS, 18 January 2019. [Online]. Available: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/endometriosis/. [Accessed 22 February 2022].

[2] A. Mińko, A. Turoń-Skrzypiñska and A. Ryi, "Endometriosis—A Multifaceted Problem of a Modern Woman," International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, vol. 18, no. 15, p. 8177, 2021.

[3] APPG , "Endometriosis in the UK: time for change," Endometriosis UK, 2020.

[4] Endometriosis UK, "ENDOMETRIOSIS AWARENESS MONTH LAUNCHES TO TACKLE THE FACT 54% DON’T KNOW ABOUT ENDOMETRIOSIS," Endometriosis UK, [Online]. Available: https://www.endometriosis-uk.org/blog/endometriosis-awareness-month-launches-tackle-fact-54-don’t-know-about-endometriosis. [Accessed 15 05 2022].

[5] S. As-Sanie, R. Black and L. Giudice, "Assessing research gaps and unmet needs in endometriosis," Am J Obstet Gynecol, vol. 2, no. 221, pp. 86-89, 2019.

[6] New York-Presbyterian, "NewYork-Presbyterian Women's Health Services Endometriosis," [Online]. Available: https://www.nyp.org/womens/endometriosis. [Accessed 22 February 2022].