Awareness is the first step toward endometriosis treatment

Endometriosis may be screaming out loud and we cannot go deaf!

Key Points

Highlight:

• Endometriosis awareness is the first and the most important step to be the base of its treatment.

Key points:

• It never stresses enough the importance of acknowledging the endometriosis condition.
• Endometriosis affects numerous women in the world; 10% of women have endometriosis and half of them are suffering from infertility or pelvic pain.
• Endometriosis affects women in their educational courses and career.
• Women with endometriosis are being forced to miss classes and change some of their academic path choices because of pain.
• Endometriosis affects women in their social life as well as in mental health.
• Almost half of the women with endometriosis may be depressed and anxious.
• Endometriosis also affects women in their sexual life and infertility.
• Even later in life, endometriosis affects women’s health and well-being.
• It affects the choices of hormonal treatment for menopausal symptoms because of the possibility of endometriosis recurrence and malignant transformation.
• Without mentioning the adverse effects on women’s quality of life, endometriosis care costs millions of dollars in surgical procedures, medical treatments, and work absenteeism.

Lay Summary

We want to reiterate the importance of endometriosis, by handling the paper entitled "Endometriosis awareness: screaming at the top of our voices" published on April 2021 in the journal “Women & Health”.

The Endometriosis Awareness Month of 2021 was a little different, due to the pandemics. According to Dr. Ferreira and Dr. Carneiro, from the Federal University of Minas Gerais, Brazil, "it never stresses enough the importance of acknowledging this condition". 

Worldwide, at least 10% of women have endometriosis, and 50% of them are suffering from infertility or pelvic pain. In addition, endometriosis compromises women’s quality of life to a much greater extent.

Endometriosis women are more likely to experience negative effects in their educational course, being forced to miss classes and change some of their academic path choices because of pain. For the same reasons, their career is more likely to be jeopardized.

It also affects women in their social life as well as in mental health. Continuous discomfort caused by uncontrolled pain can lead to isolation, withdrawal from common activities, and mood disorders. Sexual life is also affected by endometriosis and infertility is one of the important matters in their marital relationship.

Even later in life, endometriosis can affect women’s health and wellbeing, as choices of hormonal treatment for menopausal symptoms may differ. This is because of the possibility of endometriosis recurrence and malignant transformation which might occur post-menopause.

Without mentioning the adverse effects on women’s quality of life, endometriosis care costs millions of dollars in surgical procedures, medical treatments, and work absenteeism. Thus, it is urgent, women’s voices need to be heard!

Research Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33845714/