Common endometriosis myths, debunked by experts

Endometriosis can be a baffling condition due to its unclear cause, lack of symptom consistency and the time it can take to receive an accurate diagnosis.

The condition, which affects an estimated one in ten women in the U.S., occurs when tissue similar to that which lines the uterus grows outside of the uterus, typically on the ovaries, fallopian tubes or the lining of the pelvic cavity.

Because it’s difficult to understand and diagnose, there are a lot of misconceptions about endometriosis.

“For so many years, little was known about endometriosis; therefore, many misconceptions were propagated,” Katherine Burns, PhD, an associate professor at the University of Cincinnati's College of Medicine who studies endometriosis, recently told Health. “Awareness is starting to change some of the misconceptions and change the narrative — but not fast enough.”

One myth is that the more painful it is, the more severe the case may be. That is not true. One is not always tied to the other.

Many people experience constant pelvic pain, and levels go up during their period, ovulation or the middle of their cycles, Burns said. Patients can spot during their cycles as a result of endometriosis, too.

Another myth is that endometriosis can be cured. There’s no cure for endometriosis, but medication, surgery or both can help alleviate pain and reduce its progression. 

“Birth control pills and gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) therapies do not cure disease, but put the lesions in a suspended state to not respond to the natural cyclicity of a woman’s hormonal fluctuations,” said Burns.

Endometriosis typically goes into remission after menopause, when the ovaries stop producing significant hormones.

Read four other endometriosis myths that Health debunked.

Featured image at top: iStock/champpixs.