23 February 2012:

Many adolescent girls with early stage or advanced endometriosis are not being diagnosed early enough and are left to try and manage the painful and sometimes debilitating symptoms of the disease.

Dr Elizabeth Farrell, Gynaecologist and Acting Medical Director with Jean Hailes for Women's Health, says the myth that endometriosis only becomes an issue once women reach their 20s, 30s or beyond is leading to the condition being missed in teenagers.

Dr Farrell says, as a result, adolescent girls may not be offered the special consideration and treatment needed to manage endometriosis in younger females. Endometriosis affects approximately one in 10 Australian women.

"We've always believed that endometriosis occurs later on in life and that adolescents just don't get it. But they do," says Dr Farrell, who is presenting on this topic at the Women's Health Education & Research Society conference on the Gold Coast this week.

"Some girls are living with severe period pain that affects their ability to function day to day. They have to take time off school or work and are told, or just believe, that severe period pain is just part of being a woman. It isn't," she says.

"Severe period pain isn't normal, it should be investigated and endometriosis should be considered as a possible diagnosis."

Endometriosis occurs when the tissue that normally lines the uterus – the endometrium – grows outside the uterus. This tissue attaches to the ovaries or the lining of the pelvis and sometimes to the uterus, bowel and bladder. The tissue can bleed on to surrounding organs and tissues causing irritation, inflammation and scarring.

Other symptoms of endometriosis include heavy and prolonged bleeding, severe period or abdominal pain, pain during or after sex, tiredness, mood changes and bloating. About 30 per cent of women who experience infertility also have endometriosis.

While the average time to diagnosis of endometriosis is about seven years, when endometriosis occurs in adolescence it can take even longer to diagnose.

"If the diagnosis is delayed, the disease may continue on. In some women it can lead to endometriotic cysts in the ovaries and may affect fertility," says Dr Farrell.

Dr Farrell says endometriosis in adolescents needs considered and careful management to reduce future health complications. At the moment the gold standard for diagnosis of endometriosis is laparoscopy – keyhole surgery.

"So it's of concern if you have an adolescent with severe period pain because at what age do you investigate to get a specific diagnosis?" says Dr Farrell.

She says delaying laparoscopic surgery for as long as possible is the preferred path when managing suspected endometriosis in younger women.

"I would recommend trying hormonal suppression of the periods – such as prescribing the Pill – to dampen down the progress of what you think could be endometriosis, and avoid surgery until later," says Dr Farrell.

"The aim is to manage symptoms, reducing pain and bleeding so the young woman can function normally. "

"We may do that until the young woman is at the end of her school years and then, if symptoms are still there, that may be the better time to do a laparoscopy to confirm endometriosis."

"But it's very important that adolescent girls and their mothers understand that severe period pain is not normal and that they should seek help from their doctor and ask to be referred to a gynaecologist who is a specialist in this area if necessary."

Endometriosis awareness week runs from 5-11 March 2012.

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For media

To interview Dr Farrell please contact Jean Hailes Communications Manager Aleeza Zohar on (03) 9562 6771 or 0425 758 729 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it