Endometriosis: definition and meaning
Endometriosis is a long-term condition in which tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows outside it, most often on the ovaries, fallopian tubes and pelvic lining. This tissue reacts to monthly hormones, causing inflammation, pain and sometimes scar tissue. It affects roughly 1 in 10 women and people assigned female at birth of reproductive age.
How it works in your cycle
Each cycle, hormones make the endometrium grow and shed. Endometriosis patches outside the uterus respond in a similar way, but the inflammation has nowhere to go. That's why pain often peaks around the period, though for many it spreads to other days too. One theory for how it starts is retrograde menstruation.
- Period pain that's severe or gets worse over time
- Pelvic pain between periods
- Pain during or after sex
- Painful bowel movements or peeing during your period
- Heavy periods, fatigue, and difficulty getting pregnant
Why it matters
Diagnosis takes an average of several years, partly because painful periods get brushed off as normal. Endometriosis also affects mood: living with chronic pain is linked with anxiety, low mood and exhaustion, and those feelings are valid. Tracking pain days alongside your cycle gives your doctor a clearer picture.
Treatments include pain relief, hormonal options like the pill, a hormonal IUD or GnRH agonists, and surgery to remove patches. Read the full guide: endometriosis. Compare with adenomyosis, where the tissue grows into the uterine wall.
See a doctor if period pain stops you from daily life, painkillers don't help, you have pain during sex or bowel movements, or you're struggling to get pregnant. Ask about a referral to a gynecologist if symptoms continue.
Frequently asked questions
Can endometriosis be cured?
There's no cure yet, but treatments can control pain well for many people, and symptoms often ease after menopause.
How is endometriosis diagnosed?
A doctor may suspect it from symptoms and an exam, and imaging can show some types. Keyhole surgery (laparoscopy) can confirm it.
Does endometriosis cause infertility?
It can make getting pregnant harder for some people, but many with endometriosis conceive naturally or with help.
Sources
This page is for information only and isn鈥檛 medical advice. If something worries you, please talk to a doctor.
Keep reading
Endometriosis: signs worth discussing with a doctorEndometriosis explained kindly: the symptoms that are more than bad cramps, why diagnosis takes years, how tracking your pain can help, and treatment options.Adenomyosis: definition and meaningAdenomyosis means the uterine lining grows into the muscle wall of the uterus. A plain-English definition, common symptoms and when to see a doctor.Dysmenorrhea: definition and meaningDysmenorrhea is the medical term for painful periods. The difference between primary and secondary dysmenorrhea, what helps, and when to see a doctor.Retrograde menstruation: definition and meaningRetrograde menstruation is when some period blood flows back through the fallopian tubes into the pelvis. How common it is and its link to endometriosis.
When is period pain not normal?Period pain is not normal when it stops your life, ignores painkillers or keeps getting worse. Red flags for endometriosis, adenomyosis and fibroids.