By: Rebekka Carpenter ’18, Staff Writer
Despite the fact, the over 11 percent of all women struggling with endometriosis, there is still a lack of awareness.
March is Endometriosis Awareness Month. Endometriosis is a chronic and debilitating condition that causes the cells that make the lining of a women’s uterus to grow outside of the organ. The most common area it is found is on the ovaries, surface of the uterus, and the fallopian tubes. Rarely, it can even appear on areas of the body, such as the brain, lungs and eyes.
This condition causes women to have chronic pain, heavy bleeding, fatigue, depression, infertility and digestive issues. While it is found most commonly in women ages 30 to 40, it can be found in any woman of childbearing age.
Despite it affecting such a large amount of the population, lack of awareness and the complexity of symptoms causes women to go 7.5 years from the first time they visit a doctor to the time they receive their definitive diagnosis.
While a well-educated doctor can assume one has endometriosis through exams and ultrasounds, the only definitive way to receive a diagnosis is through laparoscopic surgery of the pelvis. For some women, this can mean several surgeries due to complications and rapid return of the tissue.
“I thought after my first surgery and diagnosis I was in the clear,” Brianna Leiter, a recent LVC graduate, said. “But within 11 months I had three surgeries.”
After one is diagnosed and the surgery is over the path isn’t always clear. Since there is no cure, surgery is only a temporary solution. The most common preventive treatments are hormonal birth control which is used to block or reduce the production of hormones in the body and pain management to aid in lessening the pain the endometriosis tissue and periods can cause.
“I have been on birth control since I was 14,” Morgan Hackett, a sophomore music education major, said. “The problem is every kind of pill works differently for every person. I spent years trying to find one that worked for me.”
Many women who struggle with endometriosis believe there is a need for greater awareness for this condition because chronic bleeding and pain aren’t normal.
“There are a ton of women who suffer from this in silence because people think it’s all in their head,” Hackett said.
March has been officially named Endometriosis awareness month. Organizations like Planned Parenthood help women by providing exams, birth control, and advice. Donation to Planned Parenthood will continue this help and provide funding for further research.
The Shroyer Health Center can offer a referral to anyone who is unsure of local doctors who can help treat endometriosis.
It is hoped that the current research and studies that are taking place will provide better treatment in the future.
R. CARPENTER rsc003@lvc.edu