Separate these 5 myths from her endometriosis reality

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Pain Management

MYTH #1

Women aren’t really troubled by endometriosis pain, since OTC analgesics and oral contraceptives control it just fine

Pain Management

REALITY #1

Women worry about their pelvic pain and may take analgesics to treat it¹*

In a survey of 400 women with pelvic pain¹*:

~2 OUT OF 5

respondents worried that their symptoms could turn into something worse

~2 OUT OF 5

reported previous or current opioid use to treat symptoms

*Based on a 2015 US market research survey of 400 women aged 18 to 50 not diagnosed with endometriosis or uterine fibroids but with symptoms consistent with those conditions.

Primary Symptoms

MYTH #2

Endometriosis pain only occurs during periods

Primary Symptoms

REALITY #2

While dysmenorrhea is a common symptom of endometriosis, so are non-menstrual pelvic pain and dyspareunia²

In a survey of ~3000 US women with diagnosed endometriosis^2†:

~1 OUT OF 2

had dysmenorrhea

~1 OUT OF 3

had non-menstrual pelvic pain

—Adapted from Fuldeore MJ and Soliman AM 2017.

†Findings from a cross-sectional online survey of US women aged 18 to 49 conducted from August 6, 2012 to September 14, 2012. Data shown include women with diagnosed endometriosis (2,922 of 48,020 women surveyed).

Endometriosis and Pregnancy

MYTH #3

If a woman has a child, it’s unlikely that she has endometriosis

Endometriosis and Pregnancy

REALITY #3

Women who suffer from infertility may also suffer from endometriosis—and women who have given birth might also have endometriosis

In a 2014 market research survey of 336 US women with endometriosis³:

~1 OUT OF 2

women with diagnosed endometriosis previously had 1 or more live births

Note: The figures in Reality #1 and Reality #3 must be used with caution because the symptoms of endometriosis and uterine fibroids overlap considerably with several other conditions. Without clinical investigation it is difficult to assess the proportion of this population who will eventually receive a confirmed diagnosis of endometriosis.

Time to Diagnosis

MYTH #4

Diagnosing endometriosis earlier presents little benefit to patients

Time to Diagnosis

REALITY #4

Delayed diagnosis can lead to progression of pain severity^4,5

The average delay in diagnosis is

~up to 6 to 10 years^4,6

Given an average age at diagnosis of 27,^2† this means that many women are left battling their pain at a young age, without the support of a clear diagnosis and accompanying treatment strategy

Diagnosing Endometriosis

MYTH #5

Clinicians must obtain laparoscopic diagnosis prior to initiating treatment for endometriosis

Diagnosing Endometriosis

REALITY #5

Empiric diagnosis and treatment of endometriosis is reasonable, based on clinical suspicion and presentation^7‡

Of ~3000 women reporting a diagnosis of endometriosis in a 2012 survey²:

~2 OUT OF 5

were diagnosed using nonsurgical methods^†

‡Patients with persistent symptoms after empiric treatment should be referred for laparoscopy, the preferred method for diagnosis of endometriosis.

References:
1. Data on File. AbbVie Inc. US undiagnosed uterine fibroid/endometriosis consumer segmentation. 2016. 2. 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. 3. Data on file. AbbVie Inc. US diagnosed endometriosis consumer/patient research. 2014. 4. Nnoaham KE, Hummelshoj L, Webster P, et al; for the World Endometriosis Research Foundation Global Study of Women’s Health consortium. Impact of endometriosis on quality of life and work productivity: a multicenter study across ten countries. Fertil Steril. 2011;96(2):366-373. 5. 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. 6. Giudice LC. Clinical practice: endometriosis. N Engl J Med. 2010;362(25):2389-2398. 7. Mounsey AL, Wilgus A, Slawson DC. Diagnosis and management of endometriosis. Am Fam Physician. 2006;74(4):594-600.

What are the challenges to diagnosis?