Endometriosis can cause psychological distress in women – Experts

Experts say lack of awareness increases the prevalence of endometriosis in Nigeria which can cause psychological distress of depression and anxiety in women and girls.

Endometriosis is a condition when tissue similar to the lining of the uterus (the endometrial stroma and glands, which should only be located inside the uterus) is found elsewhere in the body.

The condition is said to affect an estimated 176 million women worldwide, regardless of their ethnicity and social background. Many of such cases remain undiagnosed and are therefore not treated.

According to Uzoma Onuoha a gynaecologist at the Federal Medical Centre keffi, a lot of Nigerian women do not know about endometriosis and its effect on women especially of the reproductive group.

Onuoha also said that the effect of the incidence varies, saying it is a menstrual pains that is called dysmenorrhea which is a common cause of chronic pelvic pain.

He said studies have put the incidence between 8-25 per cent and lack of medical facilities affects its treatment.

“The prevalence of endometriosis, a disease that was not previously common in the country has become such that 1 in 10 Nigerian women suffer from it,” says Abayomi Ajayi, fertility expert, and managing director, Nordica Fertility Centre.

Experts say the three major ways endometriosis manifests are infertility, severe menstrual pain (dysmenorrhea) and dyspareunia (pain during sex) or chronic pelvic pain.

“Endometriosis is only a physical problem and there is a psychological distress it has on the women or young girls that cannot be underscored enough, because of the devastating effect on quality of life due to it is very painful, which can lead to depression and anxiety.as it is, women are known to be easily depressed and full of anxiety so they struggle with the disease,” said uzoma

It is generally acknowledged that an estimated 10% of all women during their reproductive years (from the onset of menstruation to menopause) are affected by endometriosis, which has to deal with the symptoms of endometriosis during the prime years of their lives.

Larne Yusuf a medical practitioner in Lagos says the major issues with endometriosis in this part of the world is under diagnosed, it assumed that every girl that have a painful menstruation, because of the symptoms it presents, the pain often correlates to the menstrual cycle, but a woman with endometriosis may also experience pain that does not correlate to her cycle and this is what makes this disease or condition so unpredictable and frustrating.

He said that untreated endometriosis may cause infertility and it is estimated that 30-40 per cent of women with endometriosis may not be able to have children by the time they realize it may have gone up for many years.

“More awareness needs to be created in Nigeria because most women are on aware and management of this disease may be a long term process” said Yusuf.

Endometriosis affects women in the prime of their lives, warning signs could be pelvic pain that begins before and lasts a few days longer than your period, menstrual cramping that is worse than it used to be and increases over time and bleeding that become heavier over time.

According to the South African Guideline for Treatment of Endometriosis, “adequate counselling of women diagnosed with endometriosis should be accompanied by empirical treatment with adequate analgesia, including NSAIDs and hormonal treatment”.