Medical Health Encyclopedia

Not having children has been associated with a greater risk for endometriosis. Some evidence suggests that early pregnancy may be protective against endometriosis because the cervix becomes dilated during labor, which reduces the risk for retrograde menstruation (menstrual backflow).On the other hand, endometriosis itself can increase the risk for infertility, so it may be a cause rather than a result of not having children. Some studies have found no protection against endometriosis with pregnancy, although women with the condition find relief from symptoms during pregnancy.

Family History

Some experts report that almost 7% of first-degree female relatives of endometriosis patients also develop it. A family history of endometriosis not only puts women at high risk for the condition but possibly a more severe manifestation of it as well.

Uterine Abnormalities

Women may also be at higher risk for endometriosis if they were born with uterine abnormalities that obstruct the normal outflow of blood and cause retrograde menstruation.

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There have been reports of endometriosis developing after cesarean sections, including implants developing in surgical scars and in the urinary tract. Some experts, in fact, believe endometriosis should be suspected in women with urinary tract symptoms and a history of cesarean section.

Associated Medical Conditions

Various disorders occur in greater rates in women women endometriosis. In some cases, these disorders and endometriosis may be caused by common factors, but it is not clear what they are.

They include the following:

• Certain cancers, particularly for early-onset breast and ovarian cancers, non-Hodgkin's lymphomas, and melanoma.
• Autoimmune diseases, such as systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, and multiple sclerosis. In all of these diseases, the immune system launches a destructive inflammatory response against the body's own cells (which differ in location depending on the disease). These are uncommon disorders, but in a major 2002 survey of women with endometriosis, they occurred in 12% of these women. This provides some support to the theory that endometriosis, too, is an autoimmune condition.
• Hypothyroidism. In the same 2002 survey mentioned above, 42% of women had hypothyroidism or some other hormonal disorder.
• Fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome. In the same survey, 31% reported one of these conditions.
• Diabetes.
• Allergies and asthma. Endometriosis is also more prevalent in women with a family history of asthma and allergies, including food and skin allergies and hay fever.

Other Factors Associated with Endometriosis