Endometriosis is a chronic condition, which affects women from puberty to menopause. The condition is very prevalent and often diagnosed late because symptoms are either ignored or disregarded by clinicians. The most common symptom is cyclical pelvic pain, particularly period discomfort that leads up to a period, so-called congestive dysmenorrhoea. Approximately 35% of women who present with cyclical pelvic pain will have endometriosis.
The condition can also cause discomfort with sex, and if left to progress, it can quite significantly affect the ability to conceive and have children. The mainstay of diagnosis involves good imaging techniques, high vigilance and, in some circumstances, a laparoscopy. Drugs such as progestogens and the combined contraceptive pill can usually control endometriosis. The Mirena intrauterine device can also help.