Endometriosis Awareness Month is an annual event organised by The Endometriosis Association. The aim of this month is to increase awareness of this common chronic disease through educational and fundraising events. Endometriosis is an inflammatory condition where endometrial tissue (tissue similar to the lining of the uterus) grows outside of the uterus. This tissue grows mainly in the abdominal cavity. It is estimated that 1 in 10 women have endometriosis, but it is commonly underdiagnosed. Many are unaware of how debilitating the disease can be.
Pain is one of the main symptoms of endometriosis. Endometriosis-associated pain (EAP) can have a large impact on quality of life. Women often experience
- Painful periods
- Pain during or after sexual activity
- Painful urination/bowel movements during periods
- Chronic abdominal and pelvic pain
According to a 2020 cross-sectional study published in the European Journal of Pain, women with endometriosis often experience persistent pelvic pain after surgery. Pelvic floor muscle spasm is very common, as well as sensitisation and myofascial dysfunction are widespread, beyond the pelvic region.*
Endometriosis-associated pain (EAP) is also a main focus in one of the subprojects of IMI-PainCare, a large multi-stakeholder consortium funded via the Innovative Medicines Initiative 2 programme. Find out more about it in this interview with the subproject leaders here. The subproject TRiPP is steered by the University of Oxford (UK) and Bayer. EFIC is one of three scientific societies contributing to the project. You can find all partners of the Consortium participating in this subproject here.
To access detailed information about endometriosis, please visit the Endometriosis Awareness Month website at https://endometriosis.org/news/general/endometriosis-awareness-2021/
Reference:
* Phan, VT, Stratton, P, Tandon, HK, et al. Widespread myofascial dysfunction and sensitisation in women with endometriosis-associated chronic pelvic pain: A cross-sectional study. Eur J Pain. 2021; 25: 831– 840. https://doi.org/10.1002/ejp.1713
