30

Dec

Old Wives’ Tales

Posted by steph 

The following represent FALSE notions about Endometriosis:

You can get Endometriosis by using sex toys, douching, and/or using tampons too frequently.
FALSE.

There is no evidence to support the theory that objects or douches in the vagina are the cause of Endometriosis. However, please be wary of using menstrual cups, as there has been some concern that usage of said cups could potentially bring about Endometriosis.

You can get Endometriosis by having sex while on your period.
FALSE.

There have been no studies to prove this.

Endometriosis is most often found in professional caucasian women over the age of 25.
FALSE.

Endometriosis is not a caucasian disease, nor is it solely a human disease. Endometriosis has been found in African-descended women, Caucasian women, Latin women and Asian women. Endometriosis has also been found in baboons.

Another cause of Endometriosis is due to delayed childbearing.
FALSE.

There has been no evidence to support this theory.

There is a higher incidence of birth defects in babies born to mothers who have Endometriosis.
FALSE.

There has been no evidence to support this theory.

An ultrasound can diagnose one with Endometriosis.
FALSE.

Only a laparoscopy or a laparotomy can diagnose one with Endometriosis.

Full term pregnancy cures Endometriosis.
FALSE.

While many women experience relief from Endometriosis symptoms and pain during pregnancy, the symptoms and pain most often does unfortunately return after delivery. Some women report the disease to be even worse after having borne a child.

Laparoscopic Surgery cures Endometriosis.

FALSE.

Unfortunately, this is not always the case. It depends on where the disease is located - if the Endometriosis is found on the bladder for example, it cannot be removed, and so the pain remains, leaving the patient with a choice of hormonal treatment or pain medication as treatment.
It also depends on the doctor - some women get surgery merely to diagnose them with Endo, but surprisingly the doctor leaves the Endo that’s been found inside instead of excising it! - since Endometriosis is one of the most misunderstood female gynecological issues, many doctors and surgeons still do not know exactly what to do with it, nor do they know what to do for the patient.

It depends too on where the Endometriosis is found - my friend had less Endometriosis than me but was bedridden and on disability for a year until her surgery. Surgery left her feeling wonderful, whereas for me, surgery did not help relieve my pain at all (though the benefit was that it gave me an official diagnosis).

Getting a partial or a total hysterectomy cures Endometriosis.
FALSE.

A more detailed answer begins with “Not always.”

A partial hysterectomy entails removal of the fallopian tubes and the uterus, leaving the ovaries and the cervix in place. The problem with this type of surgery and Endometriosis is that if the disease is found on the ovaries, then the disease will still rage on, because the ovaries continue to produce estrogen.

A total hysterectomy is where the fallopian tubes, the uterus, the ovaries and the cervix is removed. The problem with this type of surgery (and this also applies to partial hysterectomy) is that often times, there is remaining Endometriosis on the bladder, bowels, intestines, or other organs. Once the patient is put on Hormone Replacement Therapy, the Endometriosis is brought back to life and thrives on the synthetic estrogen, therefore the pain continues. Another problem is that if Endometriosis is missed during total hysterectomy, it can get covered up and therefore buried deeper with all the dissecting and resecting going on with a total hysterectomy.

Please see the following sites for more info:

Having Endometriosis means you lose the ability to bear children.
FALSE.

While upwards of 30 - 40% of women who are infertile also have Endometriosis, it is not true that all women who have Endometriosis WILL become infertile. I am stage III Endometriosis and quite fertile. Some women can be stage II and be infertile. It depends on what else is going on with the reproductive system. It varies from woman to woman, regardless of whether she has Endometriosis or not.

The more severe the Endometriosis, the more severe the pain.
FALSE.

It depends on where the Endometriosis is found and how each woman reacts to the pain. My friend had less Endometriosis than me but was bedridden and on disability for a year until her surgery, whereas I am high functioning at stage III until menses, then I’m bedridden for about a week.

Endometriosis is a very rare disease.
FALSE.

Endometriosis is currently one of the most common gynecological diseases, but the medical profession is still unclear as to its causes and its cure.

Endometriosis is cancerous.
FALSE.

At this time, it does not appear that Endometriosis is cancerous. Women’s Health U.K. puts it very well:

“Endometriosis is often compared to cancers that affect the female reproductive system, such as ovarian cancer and uterine cancer. This is because both endometriosis and reproductive cancers are characterized by cell invasion and abnormal cell growths. However, endometriosis is not cancer, and the growths associated with endometriosis are benign.

“Endometriosis is characterized by the growth of normal tissue that is usually found in the lining of the uterus, known as endometrial tissue, on the outside of the uterus or on nearby reproductive organs. Endometriosis is a medical condition that features symptoms that may be similar to those of cervical, ovarian, and uterine cancer symptoms, and for this reason the conditions are often linked.”

However, a research study out of Huddinge University Hospital in Stockholm, Sweden found that women with Endometriosis are more at risk for developing certain types of cancers than women who do not have Endometriosis. Those cancers are as follows:

  • Ovarian cancer risk - roughly 50% increase
  • Endocrine cancer risk - about 30% increase
  • Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma risk - about 25% increase
  • Brain tumour risk - approximately 20% increase
  • Note that in this study, the risk of cervical cancer fell by roughly 30%

Endometriosis occurs only in the uterus - in what is known as the endometrium.
FALSE.

Endometriosis may occur when some of the shed endometrium lands outside of the uterus and attaches on surrounding organs. Therefore, Endometriosis can occur on the bowels, the bladder, and the ovaries, as well as other places in the body. About 65% of the time, Endometriosis is found on or in the ovaries.

Surgeons will tell you that Endometriosis can be found in unlikely places such the lungs, just to scare you into getting surgery.
FALSE.

The lungs are NOT actually an unusual place for Endometriosis to show up! The disease most likely got there through the lymphatic or the vascular system. For this reason, Endometriosis has also been found in the brain, and in the shoulders and thighs.

Endometriosis goes away once menopause hits.
FALSE.

I’d like to thank the following resources for helping me to put together this page: