Flag Your Uterine Health Conditions

Endometriosis

Learn more about
period pain

The truth is, periods are often uncomfortable; most women report experiencing some pain during menstruation.1 Menstrual pain, also called dysmenorrhea, is common with periods. Severe menstrual pain must be addressed.

If you are experiencing period pain that makes it difficult to do daily activities, it may be time to pinpoint your pain and reach out to your healthcare provider.1

female doctor holding clipboardheavy bleeding signsheavy bleeding signs
anatomical diagram of endometriosis locations

Menstrual pain and endometriosis

Severe menstrual pain may be a sign of a condition known as endometriosis.4 Endometriosis is a disease in which the endometrium, which is the tissue that is found on the inside of the uterus, grows in other places outside of the uterus.4

Endometriosis may also be associated with nonmenstrual pelvic pain, pain during or after sex, pain in the lower abdomen, or pain while using the bathroom.4 Other common symptoms include problems getting pregnant, heavy menstrual bleeding, or irregular bleeding.4

Endometriosis is a complex disease that can affect the body in many ways.6 The Endometriosis Association, a patient advocacy organization, provides information on symptoms of endometriosis including types of pain.

LEARN MORE
endometriosis toolkit guide

Understanding endometriosis

Endometriosis is a chronic disease that does not yet have a cure.8 Being diagnosed with endometriosis and understanding what it means for your future can feel overwhelming.

To help you along your journey, the Society for Women’s Health Research, a patient advocacy organization, has created a toolkit with information about the condition and guidance on how to learn more.

ACCESS TOOLKIT

Who gets
endometriosis?

Endometriosis affects approximately 1 in 10 women of reproductive age (10%), which is about 7.5 million people in the United States and 190 million people all over the world.6,9-11 Many people start experiencing symptoms of endometriosis during adolescence and young adulthood; however, the average delay between the onset of symptoms and diagnosis is 4 to 11 years.6,8,12 While endometriosis can affect anyone regardless of race or socioeconomic status, people of color are more likely to have their pain dismissed by healthcare providers.13

endometriosis affects 1 in 10 women imageendometriosis affectsendometriosis affects
  • 10 important facts image

    To help increase awareness, the Endometriosis Association has put together a list of 10 important facts that everyone should know about endometriosis.

  • endometriosis resources for teenagers image

    To support teens affected by the disease, the Endometriosis Association has created an educational video and a teen resource toolkit. Access them at endometriosisassn.org

References

1. Period problems. Office on Women’s Health. Accessed March 2024. https://www.womenshealth.gov/menstrual-cycle/period-problems. 2. Menstrual definition. Merriam-Webster. Accessed March 2024. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/menstrual. 3. Dysmenorrhea definition. Taber's Online. Accessed March 2024. https://www.tabers.com/tabersonline/view/Tabers-Dictionary/742562/all/dysmenorrhea. 4. Endometriosis. NICHD - Eunice Kenney Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. Accessed March 2024. https://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/factsheets/endometriosis. 5. Global glossary for the global menstrual movement. PERIOD. Accessed August 2022. https://period.org/uploads/Global-Glossary-for-the-Menstrual-Movement-v1.3.pdf. 6. Zondervan KT, Becker CM, Missmer SA. Endometriosis. N Engl J Med. 2020;382(13):1244-1256. doi:10.1056/NEJMra1810764. 7. Rose SL. Patient advocacy organizations: institutional conflicts of interest, trust, and trustworthiness. J Law Med Ethics. 2013;41(3):680-687. doi:10.1111/jlme.12078. 8. Agarwal SK, Foster WG, Groessl EJ. Rethinking endometriosis care: applying the chronic care model via a multidisciplinary program for the care of women with endometriosis. Int J Womens Health. 2019;11:405-410. Published 2019 Jul 23. doi:10.2147/IJWH.S207373. 9. Fuldeore MJ, Soliman AM. Prevalence and Symptomatic Burden of Diagnosed Endometriosis in the United States: National Estimates from a Cross-Sectional Survey of 59,411 Women. Gynecol Obstet Invest. 2017;82(5):453-461. doi:10.1159/000452660. 10. Shafrir AL, Farland LV, Shah DK, et al. Risk for and consequences of endometriosis: A critical epidemiologic review. Best Pract Res Clin Obstet Gynaecol. 2018;51:1-15. doi:10.1016/j.bpobgyn.2018.06.001. 11. Age and Sex. United States Census Bureau. Accessed March 2024. https://data.census.gov/table?q=United+States&t=Age+and+Sex. 12. Soliman AM, Fuldeore M, Snabes MC. Factors Associated with Time to Endometriosis Diagnosis in the United States.  J Womens Health (Larchmt). 2017;26(7):788-797. doi:10.1089/jwh.2016.6003. 13. Hoffman KM, Trawalter S, Axt JR, Oliver MN. Racial bias in pain assessment and treatment recommendations, and false beliefs about biological differences between blacks and whites. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2016;113(16):4296-4301. doi:10.1073/pnas.1516047113.