SYDNEY, Oct. 6 (Xinhua) -- A new study from the University of Queensland (UQ) has uncovered that undiagnosed endometriosis can adversely impact women's fertility and impede certain fertility treatments.
UQ School of Public Health researcher Dr. Katrina Moss said the discovery, published in the journal of Human Reproduction on Wednesday, highlighted the importance of detecting endometriosis before women began fertility treatments.
Endometriosis is a disorder that causes tissue to grow outside a woman's uterus. According to data from the Australian Institute of Welfare and Health (AIHW), an estimated one in nine women in Australia are diagnosed with the condition, 40 percent of which experience infertility as a result.
It is also a condition that has historically been under or misdiagnosed in women. The AIHW cited that it takes women suffering with the condition on average seven years to be properly diagnosed.
"In our national study of 1,322 women, 35 percent of participants had endometriosis and one-third of those weren't diagnosed until after they started their fertility treatment," said Dr. Moss.
The endemic of underdiagnosis or misdiagnosis can lead many women to spend more money and time undergoing fertility treatments normally used before IVF (in vitro fertilization).
"Women who were diagnosed late were 4 times more likely to do a lot of cycles, sometimes up to 36 cycles of (non-IVF) fertility treatment," said Moss.
"They were also 33 percent less likely to report a birth."
Fertility specialist at UQ's Center for Clinical Research Professor Hayden Homer said the impacts can be twofold as "Women are less likely to have a child" and more likely to incur the "financial and psychological costs" associated with failed fertility treatments.
"It is highly advantageous to diagnose endometriosis before starting fertility treatment and to adjust the treatment accordingly," said Homer.
He said greater access to IVF for women diagnosed with the condition could lead to more equitable outcomes.
"It is critical to remain highly vigilant about the possibility of endometriosis amongst women who are thinking about fertility treatment, especially in the presence of severe pelvic pain," he said. Enditem
Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)