What women need to know about endometriosis
There is a silent disease that affects one in every 10 women during their reproductive years, leading many to suffer in silence.
Ella Evangelista-Martelino thought it was normal to experience excruciating pain in her pelvic area during her monthly period.
“I got my period quite early. I was 10,” she relates. “I had to deal with the pain for decades. I thought being absent from class, or being useless for a couple of days, was normal. It was only when I became financially independent that I decided to do something about it.”
Ella consulted a lot of doctors. She had her kidneys, bladder and colon checked.
“But the results were normal, thank God,” Ella shares. “Until someone suggested to see a gynecologist.”
After some tests, her OB-GYN informed her that there was a lump near one of her ovaries and advised her to get pregnant to address the problem.
“No way!” she says. “At that time, I was only in my 20s. Motherhood and marriage were far from my mind. And so, I looked for other doctors who could help me with my medical condition.”
Her search led her to an OB-GYN and infertility specialist.
“And she was the one who told me that I have endometriosis,” adds Ella. “She was very frank. She told me that there’s no cure for it, but I could manage it. And you know what? I’ve been managing the condition for the past 20 years.”
Proof that with the right support and knowledge, women with endometriosis do not need to live with pain.
More than just dysmenorreha
According to Dr. Angela Aguilar, OB-GYN and past president of the Philippine Society for Reproductive Medicine, endometriosis is a condition that causes pain due to the growth of the lining of the uterine cells in places where they’re not supposed to be — in the ovaries, peritoneum (the covering of the organs in the abdominal cavity), bladder, intestines, and sometimes in the ureter.
“And all of these manifestations are part and parcel of the whole syndrome that the woman with endometriosis suffers,” explains Dr. Aguilar.
And so what are the symptoms that women should look out for?
“Women should remember that pain during menstruation isn’t normal,” she replies. “Women should not have pain, especially debilitating pain, during menstruation. When you experience this, consult a physician right away to know whether there are lesions that are probably endometriosis.”
Women who have this condition, Dr. Aguilar says, will be subjected to an examination.
“Whether it’s by imaging or by pelvic examination,” she adds. “And confirmatory tests may be necessary to be able to see whether they really have endometriosis. But by and large, many women luckily respond to medication.”
#DontLiveWithPain
Endometriosis affects more Asian women, negatively impacting their health and livelihood.
In observance of “Endometriosis Awareness Month” last March, Bayer Philippines Inc., alongside health experts and patient advocates in the country, recently held a “#DontLiveWithPain” campaign roundtable to call attention to endometriosis, to build a community of support for OB-GYNs and patients; as well as encourage women to seek out more information about this debilitating condition that affects six out of 10 percent of women of reproductive age.
“As someone who has been suffering from endometriosis for years, “the #Don’tLiveWithPain campaign and consensus serves as a sigh of relief that our pain does not go unnoticed and that there is hope for us to live normal lives,” enthuses Martelino.
“Ella’s story is the story of many women who live with the silent pain of endometriosis,” notes Angel-Michael Evangelista, managing director and country division head for Pharmaceuticals, Bayer Philippines Inc. “At Bayer, we have a longstanding commitment to continuously innovate and advance solutions for women’s health.”
Besides imposing a negative burden on Asia’s economy due to the high costs of medical and surgical treatment, endometriosis also causes ripple effects on a women’s personal health and overall livelihood as they battle with the condition. This hinders their ability to find normalcy in their social and work life, and it takes a serious toll on their physical and mental health.
Early diagnosis is key
Aside from these impacts, the endometriosis burden in Asia is also driven by a delay in women seeking early diagnosis and treatment due to different misconceptions.
For instance, women may dismiss pelvic pain as part and parcel of their menstrual cycle, while others believe that endometriosis will cause infertility.
Due to the information gap associated with this condition, Bayer aims to address these concerns and encourage women to seek the treatment they need early.
Bayer’s #DontLiveWithPain campaign is aimed at encouraging women to seek intervention and treatment early, instead of suffering the debilitating pain in silence with the misconception that it is normal.
The campaign aims to create awareness, educate and help modern-day women understand what endometriosis is, and how they can manage the condition.
Bayer, together with clinical experts across the region, also unveiled a new consensus guideline, “Clinical Diagnosis and Early Medical Management for Endometriosis: Consensus for Asia.”
The first-of-its-kind consensus aims to help healthcare professionals navigate clinical diagnosis and early medical therapy for the treatment of endometriosis to deliver the best patient outcomes.
The consensus aligns with the latest 2022 guidelines published by the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE), which details the best practices of caring for women with endometriosis.
Both works emphasize the importance of non-invasive procedures in early diagnosis and treatment to allow for patient-centered care. For instance, symptom recognition is recommended before utilizing laparoscopy for diagnosis, and medical treatments are recommended for the management of pain post-surgery.
“While the consensus is useful in guiding healthcare providers to recommend patient-centric treatment options, there is also a need for us to leverage the right platforms to educate women on endometriosis, empowering them to voice out their pain and seek treatment early by making informed decisions about their condition,” adds Catherine Donovan, vice president and head of Medical Affairs Asia-Pacific, Bayer Pharmaceuticals Asia-Pacific.
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For information on endometriosis, visit https://www.bayer.com/en/pharma/endometriosis.
