Approximately 43 million women in India are grappling with endometriosis, a painful gynecological condition impacting 10% of girls and women aged 15 to 49. Globally, this condition affects around 190 million individuals in the reproductive age group.
A research brief from the George Institute for Global Health, India, presented in the national capital, highlights that, in contrast to many other chronic illnesses, both global and Indian governments have given scant attention to endometriosis.
Addressing the Research Gap in Endometriosis
They also lamented that funding for research has remained woefully inadequate.The growing body of research on endometriosis has largely been from high-income countries (HICs) and very little is known about the reality of women living with the condition in India.Women with endometriosis suffer from a diverse and complex range of symptoms with severe and life-impacting pain. Hormonal changes in the body during the monthly cycle cause the cells in the endometrial-like tissue to grow, and then break down and bleed into places where it cannot escape. While menstrual blood leaves the body during menstruation, this blood remains inside, leading to inflammation and formation of scar tissue.
This scar tissue can form adhesions that can cause severe pelvic pain.”Normalization of menstrual pain and lack of awareness on endometriosis are some of the key reasons for delayed diagnosis and delay in women seeking treatment for this condition,” Dr. Preety Rajbangshi, Senior Research Fellow, leading India’s Global Women’s Health Programme at the institute, told IANS.“For the study, a team led by Dr. Preety interviewed 21 women and 10 male partners from Delhi and Assam, above the age of 18 years who were laparoscopically diagnosed with endometriosis.
The study aimed to explore women’s experiences of endometriosis and its impact on them and their partners’ lives. The findings suggest the sobering impact of endometriosis on both women and their male partners and how they face challenges in leading normal lives. It impacts both women and their male partners in different ways as they battle psychological and in some cases financial issues. It showed that there are similarities and differences on how the condition affects different life domains of women and their partners. There is a need to further understand the long term impact of endometriosis on women’s lives.
“Our findings highlight the need to improve early diagnosis and treatment of endometriosis to reduce its impact on women and their partners’ lives,” the researchers wrote in the brief, submitted to a peer review journal for publishing.”In the Indian context, more research is needed to explore the social significance of endometriosis as a chronic condition, and what can be done to improve service delivery and reduce the negative impact of this condition on women’s lives,” they added.
Source-IANS
