What is endometriosis?

Affects 1 in 10 women globally and up to 30% of women with infertility.

​ Women whose mother or sister have endometriosis are 7-10x more likely to have endometriosis.

​ “A systemic, inflammatory disease characterized at surgery by the presence of endometrium-like tissue found outside the uterus, usually with an associated inflammatory process. It is a spectrum disease with a variety of subtypes and clinical presentations, and pain, inflammation, infertility, development of endometriomas (“chocolate cysts”), fibrosis, formation of adhesions (fibrous bands of dense tissue), GI and other organ dysfunction, and much more are common with endometriosis” (Int’l Endometriosis Working Group, 2021)

​ This "endometrium-like tissue" represents cells that are similar to those that line your uterus and which grow, and are then shed, as part of your menstrual cycle. With endometriosis, these hormonally stimulated cells lead to inflammation, scarring and pain wherever they are found outside of the uterus (most commonly in the pelvic cavity though disease does rarely occur outside of the abdomen/pelvis eg. in the nasal cavities).

​ "Types" of endometriosis include:

Superficial endometriosis - growing on the lining of the pelvis/abdomen (the peritoneum)

Deep infiltrating endometriosis - invasion of deposits into the peritoneum (>5mm) and potentially adjacent organs such as the bladder, bowels and fallopian tubes (affecting fertility)

Endometriomas - ovarian disease, so called "chocolate cysts", which can impact ovarian function and fertility

Adenomyosis - strictly speaking not endometriosis, however, in effect it is the same process occuring within the muscular wall of the uterus - characterised by pain and heavy, painful periods that are often resistant to hormonal therapies