Endometriosis Diagnosis, Treatment Increasing For Young Women

Endometriosis -- a condition in which the tissue that normally lines the uterus develops in other parts of the body -- is increasingly being diagnosed in young women, and while physicians are improving treatments for such women, they "don't always work," the Boston Globe reports. According to NIH, about 5.5 million women in North America are living with endometriosis, and the condition causes infertility in 30% to 40% of cases. There is no known cause for the development of the condition, but Meredith Loveless, head of pediatric and adolescent gynecology services at Johns Hopkins University, said patients initially are treated with contraceptive pills containing estrogen and progestin to stop monthly periods. Doctors use laparoscopic surgery to remove lesions if the condition persists, and some older teens and adults also take the drug Lupron to halt ovulation. "The hope is that by treating young women with endometriosis earlier, we can get better outcomes in terms of both pain and fertility," Claire Templeman -- assistant professor of obstetrics, gynecology and surgery at the University of Southern California -- said, adding, "But so far, there's no data on long-term outcomes." In addition, diagnosis of the condition is challenging because many other conditions can cause abdominal pain and because teenagers often fear receiving a pelvic exam, according to the Globe. A 2005 American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists report said it takes about nine years for most adult women to be properly diagnosed with endometriosis (Foreman, Boston Globe, 10/30).

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