Raising awareness of endometriosis in adolescent girls

Endometriosis is a disorder typically diagnosed in women over 20. However it can begin for many during adolescence.¹ This article aims to introduce the condition in adolescent girls; their symptoms, key issues and support needs. Nurses working in primary care settings are often amongst the first to encounter adolescents with symptom complaints, and they therefore play a crucial role in initiating diagnostic referral and providing education and support.

Endometriosis is a chronic condition in which endometrial-like tissue is found outside of the uterine cavity, often on the reproductive organs, bowel and bladder. These tissue deposits respond to monthly hormone cycles, inducing a local inflammatory response, which leads to scarring and adhesion formation.² Endometriosis is often described as enigmatic, because the exact cause is unknown, therefore definitive treatment is not always possible, and there is a high rate of reoccurrence.³