Laparoscopy, or minimally invasive surgery, is the way to diagnose endometriosis
eggs might be destroyed, causing the patient some
serious fertility issues. If you have early treatment for
endometriosis, you can prevent a lot of damage to the
organs too,” said Dr Leong.
Having issues with fertility is a serious complication
of endometriosis. Women with milder forms may
be able to conceive and carry a baby to term, but
according to the Mayo Clinic, about 30-40 percent
of women with endometriosis have trouble getting
pregnant.
For pregnancy to occur, a fertilised egg must
attach itself to the uterine wall to begin development.
Endometriosis may obstruct the fallopian tube when
the egg is released and keep the egg and sperm from
meeting. The condition also seems to affect fertility in
less-direct ways, such as by damaging the sperm or
egg.
Even so, many patients with mild to moderate
endometriosis can still conceive and carry a
pregnancy to term. Doctors sometimes advise
diagnosed endometriosis patients not to delay having
children because the condition may worsen over time.
In Kuala Lumpur, Surita Mogan has been organising
a march for endometriosis patients set for March 28
to highlight the condition and raise awareness of it.
GlobalHealthAndTravel.com
The Kuala Lumpur Endo March will be part of a global
effort to do so on that day.
Surita, who received her diagnosis 12 years ago
after a nine-year wait, says there’s “a little bit more
awareness” among doctors, employers, and the
public, but there’s still a long way to go.
She believes many doctors are still holding back
on their diagnosis while bosses do not yet understand
the debilitating pain caused by endometriosis and its
impact on performance.
“I’m very angry that it’s not addressed. I have so
much anger in me; I don’t know why this condition is
not out in the open. I’ve faced a lot of discrimination,
and I don’t want anyone else to face the same
problems I went through, especially in my teens,” she
said.
“There are so many things we can do. We need
campaigns to talk about endometriosis, especially in
schools, and there should be menstrual health events
to educate girls and the community. Employers also
need to understand it because a lot of us are laid off
work.
“We go through all this pain but still it’s not out in
the open, and that’s the sad part. Why is it still not
being addressed?” n
Endometriosis
may obstruct
the fallopian
tube when the
egg is released
and keep the
egg and sperm
from meeting
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63