Quality of Life in Patients with Endometriosis

Endometriosis is a chronic gynaecological disease with a prevalence of about 10% in women of reproductive age. The typical symptoms of this disease include chronic pelvic pain, dyspareunia and infertility with an overall negative impact on the psychosocial parameters in the subjects, leading to a significant reduction of quality of life. Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQL) is a multi-dimensional, dynamic concept that encompasses physical, psychological and social aspects of individuals. The aim of this study was to evaluate quality of life in patients with endometriosis. This descriptive, cross-sectional study was performed on forty 22–28 year-old women with endometriosis, attending Avicenna Infertility Clinic and Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences. Endometriosis Health Profile-5 (EHP-5) questionnaire was used in interviews to collect data from individuals willing to participate in the study. The mean age of participants was 35.7±8.3 years with an average duration of the disease of 32 months (6 to 84 months). All the patients were infertile, 75% suffered from dyspareunia and 32% had painful walking. Functional impairment was seen in 62% of the individuals and 92% felt as though symptoms were ruling their lives. Mood swing was seen in 55% of the patients, 37% felt depressed and 34% thought their general appearance had been affected. About 73% believed that healthy individuals and 41% believed that even medical doctors did not realize the gravity of their disease, while 29% felt hopeless because of treatment effectiveness. Endometriosis impairs quality of life, specially in the domains of pain, psychological and functional abilities. Although, medical and surgical measurements improve physical and psychological functions, increase energy levels and lessen pain but psychotherapy and appropriate pharmacotherapy seem to be essential in the management of endometriosis.