Endometriosis – Women’s Infertility Factor

Women with endometriosis may experience infertility, pelvic pain (dysmenorrheal) or both. Up to 10% of all women may have endometriosis. Many women who have endometriosis experience few or no symptoms. Some women experience severe menstrual cramps, chronic pelvic pain, or painful intercourse. In others, infertility may be the only symptom of endometriosis. Endometriosis is a common condition that affects women during the reproductive years. It occurs when normal tissue from the uterine lining, the endometrium, attaches to organs in the pelvis and begins to grow. This displaced endometrial tissue causes irritation in the pelvis that may lead to pain and infertility. Experts do not know why some women develop endometriosis. During each menstrual period, most of the uterine lining and blood is shed through the cervix and into the vagina. However, some of this tissue enters the pelvis through the fallopian tubes. Women who develop endometriosis may simply be unable to clear the pelvis of these cells. The severity and course of endometriosis is highly unpredictable.

There is a large body of evidence that demonstrates an association between endometriosis and infertility. Endometriosis can be found in up to 50% of infertile women. Infertility patients with untreated mild endometriosis conceive on their own at a rate of 2% to 4.5% per month, compared to a 15% to 20% monthly fertility rate in normal couples. Infertility patients with moderate and severe endometriosis have monthly pregnancy rates of less than 2%. Even though endometriosis is strongly associated with infertility, not all women who have endometriosis are infertile.

Endometriosis cannot be diagnosed by symptoms alone. Your physician may suspect endometriosis if you are having fertility problems, severe menstrual cramps, pain during intercourse, or chronic pelvic pain. It may also be suspected when there is a persistent ovarian cyst. Endometriosis is often found in close family members like a mother or sister. Remember, however, that many women with endometriosis have no symptoms at all.

Surgical treatment of endometriosis is often performed when endometriosis is diagnosed. During laparoscopy, the doctor may remove adhesions, endometriosis nodules, and ovarian cysts. Laparoscopy is often used to treat recurrent endometriosis when the goal is to preserve future fertility. Up to 40% of women may conceive during the first eight to nine months after laparoscopic management of minimal or mild endometriosis.

Information taken from Reproductivefacts.org