Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2020 Oct 1;10(1):16253.
doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-73389-2.

Endometriosis and chronic pelvic pain have similar impact on women, but time to diagnosis is decreasing: an Australian survey

Mike Armour  1   2 , Justin Sinclair  3 , Cecilia H M Ng  4 , Mikayla S Hyman  5 , Kenny Lawson  6 , Caroline A Smith  3   6 , Jason Abbott  4
Affiliations

Endometriosis and chronic pelvic pain have similar impact on women, but time to diagnosis is decreasing: an Australian survey

Mike Armour et al. Sci Rep. .

Abstract

Chronic pelvic pain (CPP) affects a significant number of women worldwide. Internationally, people with endometriosis report significant negative impact across many areas of their life. We aimed to use an online survey using the EndoCost tool to determine if there was any difference in the impact of CPP in those with vs. those without a confirmed diagnosis of endometriosis, and if there was any change in diagnostic delay since the introduction of clinical guidelines in 2005. 409 responses were received; 340 with a diagnosis of endometriosis and 69 with no diagnosis. People with CPP, regardless of diagnosis, reported moderate to severe dysmenorrhea and non-cyclical pelvic pain. Dyspareunia was also common. Significant negative impact was reported for social, academic, and sexual/romantic relationships in both cohorts. In the endometriosis cohort there was a mean diagnostic delay of eight years, however there was a reduction in both the diagnostic delay (p < 0.001) and number of doctors seen before diagnosis (p < 0.001) in those presenting more recently. Both endometriosis and CPP have significant negative impact. Whilst there is a decrease in the time to diagnosis, there is an urgent need for improved treatment options and support for women with the disease once the diagnosis is made.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

MA, JS, CS: As a medical research institute, NICM Health Research Institute receives research grants and donations from foundations, universities, government agencies and industry. Sponsors and donors provide untied and tied funding for work to advance the vision and mission of the Institute. This study was not specifically supported by donor or sponsor funding to NICM. MA is a member of the clinical advisory board for Endometriosis Australia. JA: Medical Director, Endometriosis Australia (NFP). The other authors declare no competing interest.

References

    1. Jean Hailes for Women’s Health. Women’s Health Survey 2016: Understanding Health Information Needs and Health Behaviours of Women in Australia, https://assets.jeanhailes.org.au/Research/Womens-Health-Survey-Report-20... (2016).
    1. Australian Government Department of Health and Aging . National Women's Health Policy. Canberra: AIHW; 2010.
    1. Hickey M, Ballard K, Farquhar C. Endometriosis. BMJ. 2014;348:g1752. doi: 10.1136/bmj.g1752. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Whitaker LH, et al. An exploratory study into objective and reported characteristics of neuropathic pain in women with chronic pelvic pain. PLoS ONE. 2016;11:e0151950. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0151950. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Mowers EL, et al. Prevalence of endometriosis during abdominal or laparoscopic hysterectomy for chronic pelvic pain. Obstet. Gynecol. 2016;127:1045–1053. doi: 10.1097/AOG.0000000000001422. - DOI - PubMed