Jessica Fourquet1, Ninet Sinaii2, Pamela Stratton3, Fareed Khayel2, Carolina Alvarez-Garriga1, Manuel Bayona1, Mary Lou Ballweg4, Idhaliz Flores5. 1. Public Health Program, Ponce Health Sciences University, Ponce - Puerto Rico. 2. Biostatistics and Clinical Epidemiology Service, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland - USA. 3. Program in Reproductive and Adult Endocrinology, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland - USA. 4. Endometriosis Association, Milwaukee, Wisconsin - USA. 5. Department of Microbiology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Ponce Health Sciences University, Ponce - Puerto Rico.
Abstract
PURPOSE: To describe lifetime differences in clinical characteristics of women with endometriosis between the USA and Puerto Rico. METHODS: A descriptive study using self-administered demographic and clinical questionnaires was undertaken. Women with self-reported surgically diagnosed endometriosis who completed questionnaires from the Endometriosis Association (EA), Wisconsin, USA (n = 4358) and the Endometriosis Research Program (ERP) in Puerto Rico (n = 878), were included in this study. We compared demographic, gynecological and clinical history, frequency of endometriosis-associated symptoms and co-morbidities. RESULTS: Although both groups have similar symptomatology, EA respondents had significantly higher rates of chronic pelvic pain and incapacitating pain than ERP participants. EA respondents were significantly more likely to report a history of problems getting pregnant, heavy bleeding, and hysterectomy than ERP respondents. Miscarriages were more frequently reported by the ERP group. Co-morbidities such as allergies, chronic fatigue syndrome, and fibromyalgia were more prevalent in EA respondents, whereas asthma was significantly more frequent in participants from ERP. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, women with endometriosis from the USA and Puerto Rico reported high rates of pain and infertility and a similar spectrum of symptoms. Those from the EA reported longer time to diagnosis, and diagnostic delays than those from the ERP, which may explain the observed increased in rates of endometriosis-related symptoms and co-morbidities in EA as compared to ERP.
PURPOSE: To describe lifetime differences in clinical characteristics of women with endometriosis between the USA and Puerto Rico. METHODS: A descriptive study using self-administered demographic and clinical questionnaires was undertaken. Women with self-reported surgically diagnosed endometriosis who completed questionnaires from the Endometriosis Association (EA), Wisconsin, USA (n = 4358) and the Endometriosis Research Program (ERP) in Puerto Rico (n = 878), were included in this study. We compared demographic, gynecological and clinical history, frequency of endometriosis-associated symptoms and co-morbidities. RESULTS: Although both groups have similar symptomatology, EA respondents had significantly higher rates of chronic pelvic pain and incapacitating pain than ERP participants. EA respondents were significantly more likely to report a history of problems getting pregnant, heavy bleeding, and hysterectomy than ERP respondents. Miscarriages were more frequently reported by the ERP group. Co-morbidities such as allergies, chronic fatigue syndrome, and fibromyalgia were more prevalent in EA respondents, whereas asthma was significantly more frequent in participants from ERP. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, women with endometriosis from the USA and Puerto Rico reported high rates of pain and infertility and a similar spectrum of symptoms. Those from the EA reported longer time to diagnosis, and diagnostic delays than those from the ERP, which may explain the observed increased in rates of endometriosis-related symptoms and co-morbidities in EA as compared to ERP.
Authors: Germaine M Buck Louis; Mary L Hediger; C Matthew Peterson; Mary Croughan; Rajeshwari Sundaram; Joseph Stanford; Zhen Chen; Victor Y Fujimoto; Michael W Varner; Ann Trumble; Linda C Giudice Journal: Fertil Steril Date: 2011-06-29 Impact factor: 7.329
Authors: Julie Anne L Gemmill; Pamela Stratton; Sean D Cleary; Mary Lou Ballweg; Ninet Sinaii Journal: Fertil Steril Date: 2009-11-27 Impact factor: 7.329