6 things you didn't know about endometriosis

Endometriosis affects millions of women of childbearing age. Its cause is still unknown, but these little-known facts offer valuable insight into its behaviour.

The word "endometrium" refers to the tissue that lines the inside of the uterus. Endometriosis is an incurable condition in which cells of the endometrium migrate to other parts of the body to become growths or scar tissue.

Endometriosis is one of the most common reproductive disorders, if not the most common, affecting women, yet most don't know they have it. Since little is known about the disease, several conflicting theories have developed leading to delays in diagnosis and misdiagnoses.

• Today, science believes that heredity, autoimmune conditions and environmental factors contribute to the disorder.

Cells migrate from the lining of the womb to grow in other areas of the body.

• These rogue cells populate various areas of the body, including the ovaries, bladder and vaginal septum.
• They experience changes at ovulation, just like the cells in the uterus, and eventually become tender and inflamed.
• However, unlike the uterus, these cells can't shed their lining. Instead they become painful lesions that can lead to scar tissue formation.

Most women are not diagnosed with the disorder until they're past their prime fertile years: their late twenties and thirties.

• Ironically, if caught during the teen years, the disease can be optimally managed, allowing women to lead normal reproductive lives.

The disorder affects nearly every aspect of a woman's life, including her ability to work, socialize, experience intimacy and reproduce.

• For most women, planning events around the menstrual cycle is necessary to maintain healthy relationships.

Women with endometriosis often have irregular periods, making it difficult to predict fertile times for conception.

• Fertility awareness is one of several methods that use specific cues from the body to determine fertile times.
• Good pregnancy results have been achieved using this type of self-awareness tool, which may include checking the body's temperature at set times each morning and observing the consistency of the cervical fluid and the position of the cervix.

Dr. David Redwine, a noted endometriosis specialist and surgeon at the Oregon Institute of Endometriosis, speaks about a popular misconception about the disease: "So strong is the notion that removal of the ovaries will destroy endometriosis that this elderly patient had her uterus, tubes and ovaries removed at the age of 73 in order to 'cure' endometriosis."

• Unfortunately, the condition requires lifelong management, and there is no cure, even at menopause.