Endometriosis— a condition in which tissue that normally lines the uterus grows in other parts of the body—affects ten per cent of Canadian women of reproductive age and is associated with pain and infertility. That’s approximately a million Canadians. But endometriosis can go undiagnosed for years, while its debilitating symptoms cost $2 billion annually in lost productivity and health care expenses.
Yong says in the past, women with painful menstrual cramps —a common symptom of endometriosis—were sometimes told the pain was just a normal part of women’s life. “We are realizing that moderate to severe pain is not normal. If a teenager is missing school or sporting activities because of menstrual pain, there is a strong association with endometriosis. And if painful periods go untreated, that individual is at risk to have chronic pelvic pain in the future.”
