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March is National Endometriosis Month
2/27/2008

March is National Endometriosis Month

Have you ever wondered if bad menstrual cramps are normal? Do you think it’s okay for teen girls and young women to have severe pain in their lower belly a few days before their periods? Should they have it during their periods?

The fact is, teens should NOT have really bad pain or cramps. And if they do, they should talk with a doctor to make sure they don’t have endometriosis (end –o-me-tree-o-sis).

Endometriosis is a condition where the tissue that is normally inside the uterus (womb) is found outside of the uterus. It can attach to any part of the girl’s body that is in her lower belly and grow. No one knows why this happens. Even girls who haven’t started their periods or who have only had a couple of periods can have endometriosis.

This is how some girls can feel with endometriosis. Pain may begin up to 2 weeks before menstrual bleeding starts. It can get worse the closer a girl gets to her period and when the bleeding starts. Often the pain is so bad that the girl can’t go to school or do just about anything. She usually has to stay in bed and rest.

A girl can have pain just by sitting or when having bowel movements. She can have pain in one side of her lower belly and sometimes the pain can go down her leg.

It is important that all girls and young women with very bad pain or menstrual cramps talk with a doctor about it. Endometriosis has nothing to do with sexually transmitted diseases. A girl should find out if she has endometriosis and get help so the endometriosis doesn’t get worse. Sometimes the pain can get so bad, that a girl can’t do anything for several days. It may even get so bad over the years that if she wants a baby when she is older, she may not be able to get pregnant.

There is a lot you can learn about endometriosis. If you or someone you know has bad pain in the lower belly or menstrual cramps, go to Youngwomenshealth.org to learn more.

You can also go to: Endometriosistreatment.org, Obgyn.net, or Endometriosis.org.