On this final day of Endometriosis Awareness Month, it is also Transgender Day of Visibility, and I stand firmly with my Trans Endometriosis Siblings in solidarity as we strive for changes toward equitable treatment in worldwide health care.
Image courtesy endoqueer.com.
Are redheads more prone to Endometriosis?
In a 1995 study:
It was concluded that “The results suggest an association between the occurrence of natural red hair and those factors that lead to the development of endometriosis.”
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7641926/
In a 2006 study:
The study concluded, “we did not observe a significant relation between red hair color and the rate of endometriosis, however this prospective cohort study suggests that the relation may differ by infertility status.”
https://www.fertstert.org/action/showPdf?pii=S0015-0282%2805%2904323-2
Further research is needed. As of 2024, it doesn’t look like there’s been any further research on the red hair question.
Did you know? Autoimmune Diseases Tend To Cluster
People with Endometriosis are more likely to have co-occurring autoimmune illnesses such as:
The above is not a complete list.
The chronically ill community, prone to dark humour as a coping mechanism, use pop-culture references to joke about it.
Playing off of the Lay’s potato chip commercial, we say, “Autoimmune Diseases – betcha can’t have just one!”
Playing off of the Pokémon theme song, we say, “Autoimmune Diseases – gotta catch ’em all!”
More info on this can be found on the Internet. Some sites and studies are:
Endometriosis and co-morbidities
https://endometriosis.org/news/research/endometriosis-and-comorbidities/
Health Conditions Connected to Endometriosis
https://endometriosis.net/health-conditions-linked
A Novel Classification of Endometriosis Based on Clusters of Comorbidities
https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9059/11/9/2448
Editorial: Comorbidities in Women With Endometriosis: Risks and Implications
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frph.2022.875277/full
And you can use the Search widget on this website.
“I feel so alone. Where can I find others who have Endometriosis?”
The Internet has been a literal lifesaver for those of us who have little in-person support and/or who have been bed-bound for long periods of time due to Endometriosis.
Some online areas where the Endometriosis community has recently been active are:
Additionally, Steph has started adding sites to a support network page on the Living With Endometriosis blog. You can view a growing list at:
www.livingwithendometriosis.org/organisations
Please reply in the comments if you have or know of an organisation that should be on the Living With Endometriosis blog!
Research Studies of Endometriosis and the COVID-19 Pandemic
Does endometriosis increase susceptibility of COVID-19 Infections? – March, 2021
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12905-021-01270-z
A study of 1,027 people in Tehran, Iran from May to July 2020 found that people with endometriosis who got sick with COVID-19 “had a lower frequency of asymptomatic and febrile infection, but higher frequency of other symptoms, including gastrointestinal, dermatologic, hematologic, and neuronal disorders.”
COVID-19 pandemic and the consequential effect on patients with endometriosis – March, 2022
https://academic.oup.com/hropen/article/2022/2/hoac013/6550509
A study of 2,964 people from 59 countries between November 2020 and January 2021 found “a clear correlation between deterioration of the reported physical and mental state and impaired medical care for patients suffering from endometriosis during the COVID-19 pandemic.”
COVID-19 susceptibility in endometriosis patients – July, 2022
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/aji.13602
A study of 401 people in Milan, Italy from March 2020 to April 2021 showed that “patients with endometriosis have an increased risk for SARS-CoV-2-induced infection.”
Endometriosis and COVID-19: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis – October, 2022
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9657778/
A meta-analysis of studies totaling 17,779 patients between January 2020 and August 2022 found “that 7.5% of endometriosis patients were infected with SARS-CoV-2, and that endometriosis patients had an approximately 50% increased risk of acquiring COVID-19. When compared to the general population, the prevalence of COVID-19 in endometriosis patients seems to be higher.”
Association of laparoscopically-confirmed endometriosis with long COVID-19 – March, 2023
https://www.ajog.org/article/S0002-9378(23)00177-1/fulltext
A study of 46,579 people (95.4% non-Hispanic White) nurses in the United States from April 2020 to November 2022 showed that “Women with a history of laparoscopically-confirmed endometriosis had a 22% greater risk of developing long COVID-19 compared with those who had never been diagnosed with endometriosis.”
Did you know?
Even in the 21st Century, the medical field still doesn’t know much about transgender men’s health – especially when it comes to Endometriosis.
“Transgender men assigned female at birth but identifying as male
often find themselves navigating a healthcare system that fails to
adequately address their specific needs. Endometriosis, primarily
viewed as a “women’s issue”, is a prime example of this oversight.
By recognizing and studying endometriosis in transgender men,
we can dismantle the binary understanding of this condition and
pave the way for more inclusive healthcare practices.”
-Alexandre Vallée, Anis Feki, Jean-Marc Ayoubi
Read the article “Endometriosis in transgender men: recognizing the missing pieces” at:
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmed.2023.1266131/full
23
Mar
Stats on Endometriosis
Depending on which site you visit online, you’ll read that Endometriosis affects:
See the full quotes with links to their websites at: https://www.livingwithendometriosis.org/what-is-endometriosis/
Did you know?
Racism led to the belief that Endometriosis only develops in white career women who delay childbirth.
The Endometriosis Summit writes: “Structural racism and implicit bias permeates many institutions throughout America, devastating the lives of African Americans.”
EndoBlack writes: “Years of little research have caused medical professionals to believe that only “white women” can be diagnosed with endometriosis. Medical research must be expanded to be more inclusive to African American women and women of color. ”
EndoFound writes: “Unfortunately, the consequences of this myth continue to this day. Today, Black, Indigineous, and POC individuals face more barriers to receiving proper endo diagnosis and treatment.”
Endometriosis.org writes: “…the early endometriosis research that characterised endometriosis patients as affluent, nulliparous women, may contribute to unconscious diagnostic biases and stereotypes.”
See longer quote excerpts with links to websites at:
https://www.livingwithendometriosis.org/myths/#endoracism
21
Mar
The Mankoski Pain Scale was created by Andrea Mankoski.
The full text of this pain scale can be found at: https://www.valis.com/andi/painscale.html, and is also available on the sidebar of this website.
