March 1, 2022

Together, we can raise awareness and educate about this chronic and painful disease!

Endometriosis (en-doe-me-tree-O-sis) is a disease in which tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows in other places in the body. It is one of the most common gynecological diseases, and its primary symptoms include pain and infertility.¹ Endometriosis may affect more than 11% of American women between 15 and 44. It is especially common among women in their 30s and 40s and may make it harder to get pregnant.²

Endometriosis growths are benign (not cancerous). But they can still cause problems. Endometriosis growths may swell and bleed in the same way the lining inside of your uterus does every month—during your menstrual period. This can cause swelling and pain because the tissue grows and bleeds in an area where it cannot easily get out of your body.²

There is no cure for endometriosis, but treatments are available for the symptoms and problems it causes. In 2018, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved elagolix (Orilissa®) for the treatment of pain associated with endometriosis—the first and only pill specifically approved for endometriosis pain-relief.^{3, 4} Talk to your doctor about your treatment options.

Learn more about endometriosis diagnosis and treatment at the following resources.

• NIH National Institute of Child and Human Development (NICHD) 
• HHS Office of Women’s Health 
• NIH National Library of Medicine MedlinePlus
• The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG) 

For resources and materials on other women’s health topics, visit www.fda.gov/womens.

 

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¹https://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/endometriosis
²https://www.womenshealth.gov/a-z-topics/endometriosis
³https://go.usa.gov/xzTRY
⁴https://www.fda.gov/drugs/drug-approvals-and-databases/drug-trials-snapshots-orilissa

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