Endometriosis in Indian Women
- Endometriosis is known to be affecting the lives of over 25 million women in India [in 2007 out of 89 million women all over the world] i.e., about 35% of women in the world with endometriosis are in India. Thus we becoming the most affected country with endometriosis (as per 2007 survey).
- Cochin and Assam showed a high incidence, while Punjab had the fewest cases. Perhaps it has something to do with the use of pesticides in the coffee and tea plantations in South India and Assam
- The reason for its enhanced occurrence in urban India is "stress and lifestyle choices such as delaying the first pregnancy to post-30"
- The Endometriosis Society recently conducted another survey, this time in five schools in Kolkata, and found that "five per cent of the girls below 18 who complained of dysmenorrhea (the medical name for severe cramps during menstruation) are affected by endometriosis disorder
Women are expected to give birth within 1-2 years of being married as this is seen as a sign of a family's growth and happiness. However, as women tend to remain virgins till they are married (average marriage age is between 23-28), they may only be diagnosed until they try for a child.