Impact of Endometriosis on Life-Course Potential: A Narrative Review

Abstract

Stacey A Missmer,1 Frank F Tu,2 Sanjay K Agarwal,3 Charles Chapron,4 Ahmed M Soliman,5 Stephanie Chiuve,5 Samantha Eichner,5 Idhaliz Flores-Caldera,6 Andrew W Horne,7 Alexandra B Kimball,8 Marc R Laufer,9 Nicholas Leyland,10 Sukhbir S Singh,11 Hugh S Taylor,12 Sawsan As-Sanie13 1Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Biology, Michigan State University, Grand Rapids, MI, USA; 2Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, NorthShore University Health System, Evanston, IL, USA; 3Department of Reproductive Medicine, Center for Endometriosis Research and Treatment, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; 4Department of Gynecology Obstetrics II and Reproductive Medicine, Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Faculté de Médecine, Assistance Publique – Hôpitaux de Paris, Hôpital Universitaire Paris Centre, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Cochin, Paris, France; 5AbbVie, Inc., North Chicago, IL, USA; 6Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Ponce Health Sciences University – Ponce Research Institute, School of Medicine, Ponce, Puerto Rico; 7Department of Gynaecology and Reproductive Sciences, MRC Centre for Reproductive Health, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK; 8Harvard Medical Faculty Physicians, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA; 9Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Biology, Boston Center for Endometriosis and Boston Children’s Hospital and Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; 10Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada; 11Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Ottawa, and Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; 12Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA; 13Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Michigan Health System, Ann Arbor, MI, USACorrespondence: Stacey A MissmerCollege of Human Medicine, Michigan State University, 15 Michigan Street Northeast, Grand Rapids, MI 49503, USATel [phone]Email [email protected]: Endometriosis may exert a profound negative influence on the lives of individuals with the disorder, adversely affecting quality of life, participation in daily and social activities, physical and sexual functioning, relationships, educational and work productivity, mental health, and well-being. Over the course of a lifetime, these daily challenges may translate into limitations in achieving life goals such as pursuing or completing educational opportunities; making career choices or advancing in a chosen career; forming stable, fulfilling relationships; or starting a family, all of which ultimately alter one’s life trajectory. The potential for endometriosis to impact the life course is considerable, as symptom onset generally occurs at a time of life (menarche through menopause, adolescence through middle age) when multiple life-changing and trajectory-defining decisions are made. Using a life-course approach, we examine how the known effects of endometriosis on life-domain satisfaction may impact health and well-being across the life course of affected individuals. We provide a quasi-systematic, narrative review of the literature as well as expert opinion on recommendations for clinical management and future research directions.Keywords: endometriosis, health trajectory, life-course impairment

Keywords

• endometriosis
• health trajectory
• life-course impairment