Can you suffer from endometriosis in adolescence? An expert answers

Contrary to popular belief, endometriosis does not only affect adult women. the young girls can get it too and this since adolescence. “We think that endometriosis affects 1 in 10 women of childbearing age“once the menstrual cycle is established, says Yasmine Candau, president of the EndoFrance association. “We are finding more and more very young girls who are diagnosed with endometriosis lesions. But very often it is detected on average after seven years of medical wandering, in other cases it can be much more. And also, when we questioned women who are 30-40 years old, say that they had an adolescence disturbed by menstruation and the pain it caused them.

If endometriosis has been slow to be recognized as a chronic diseaseThis is because for a long time, and even today, the pain felt by women during menstruation has been trivialized, and it is often confused with dysmenorrhea. “Among young women there is also this belief around the rules of saying ‘the first years are not very regular, nothing serious can happen, the cycle is just happening'”.reports the expert.

Endometriosis in adolescence: the signs that should alert

In a young adolescent, several signs can alert to endometriosis. Being the most characteristic symptom level of pain during menstruation. “If the pain resists a simple analgesic or antispasmodic, if each cycle is the same and you can’t get up, you can’t perform your daily actions, you have to ask yourself the question because it’s not normal”explains Yasmine Candau.

Another sign that is a call point for endometriosis in girls is truancy from school but excused. “The pain is so strong that the young woman cannot put one foot on the ground, she vomits in pain, she faints and that is why she cannot go to class”explains the expert.

Some teens also feel like a feeling of urinary tract infection at the time of menstruation. “Call urination disorders. We have the sensation of having a urinary infection but when we take the sample there are no bacteria, the sample will be normal”. Still others may have during their cycle a alternating diarrhea constipationwhich could be a digestive attack.

pain during sex should also alert. “Of course we are not talking about the pain associated with the first penetration, we are talking about a deep pain like a bruise in the lower part of the vagina. A pain that forces some young women to adapt their position during the act, otherwise They suffer too much.”

Endometriosis in adolescence: risk factors

Today, some researchers have shown that there is a genetic part to endometriosis. “We still don’t know to what extent, but we know thata woman who has endometriosis is 5 times more likely to pass it on to her daughter.”

Another known risk factor isget your first period earlybefore the age of 12. “The more cycles there are, the more endometriosis, if any, could develop,” indicates the EndoFrance site.

My teenager seems to have endometriosis, what should I do?

If your teen has certain signs that suggest endometriosis, the first thing to do is Do not panic, because this gynecological disease can be treated. “If it is diagnosed in time, everything can be put into action at a therapeutic level to preserve quality of life, fertility and avoid the possible worsening of the disease. The sooner it is detected, the better!”, says Yasmine Candau, president of EndoFrance. Treatments are tailored according to the damage.

Before that, it is also necessary that the young girl dares to talk about her menstrual pain. You can tell a loved one, a trusted adult, or even the school nurse. More and more school nurses are trained and aware of endometriosis. Volunteers from the EndoFrance association can also help here, for example. “We can explain the disease in simple words, we can answer the questions of the girls and their parents, we can help them refer them to doctors who will be able to make the diagnosis.”, explains the expert. On the subject, Yasmine Candau and the Endo France association have published a comic titled Clara’s Endometriosis.

Yasmine Candau – Clara’s Endometriosis: understanding the disease for 15-25 year olds

© DunodGraphic

• 
  Amazon

  16.9

• 
  fnac.com

  16.9

• 
  amazon marketplace

  16.9

• 
  amazon marketplace

  16.9

How the pricing table works

See more offers
See less offers

Price offers are listed in ascending order of price. The prices shown include VAT (all taxes included). The shipping price shown is the cheapest home delivery offered by the merchant. aufeminin.com makes reference in its price tables to merchants who wish to be present on the condition that they show prices including VAT (including VAT – all taxes included) and that they present an excellent level of quality of service and customer satisfaction. This referral is paid. Therefore, our price tables are not exhaustive of all offers and merchants present on the market. The offers present in the price tables are updated daily and several times a day for certain stores.