I bet you say that to all the girls with Endometriosis...

Fertil Steril. 2013 Jan;99(1):212-8. doi: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2012.08.039. Epub 2012 Sep 15.

Attractiveness of women with rectovaginal endometriosis: a case-control study.

Vercellini P, Buggio L, Somigliana E, Barbara G, Viganò P, Fedele L.

Source

Clinica Ostetrica e Ginecologica, Istituto Luigi Mangiagalli, Università degli Studi, and Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda-Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy. paolo.vercellini@unimi.it

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

To evaluate physical attractiveness in women with and without endometriosis.

DESIGN:

Case-control study.

SETTING:

Academic hospital.

PATIENT(S):

Three hundred nulliparous women.

INTERVENTION(S):

Assessment of attractiveness by four independent female and male observers.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S):

A graded attractiveness rating scale.

RESULT(S):

A total of 31 of 100 women in the rectovaginal endometriosis group (cases) were judged as attractive or very attractive, compared with 8 of 100 in the peritoneal and ovarian endometriosis group and 9 of 100 in the group of subjects without endometriosis. A higher proportion of cases first had intercourse before age 18 (53%, 39%, and 30%, respectively). The mean ± SD body mass index in women with rectovaginal endometriosis, in those with other disease forms, and in those without endometriosis was, respectively, 21.0 ± 2.5, 21.3 ± 3.3, and 22.1 ± 3.6. The median (interquartile range) waist-to-hip ratio and breast-to-underbreast ratio were, respectively, 0.75 (0.71-0.81), 0.76 (0.71-0.81), and 0.78 (0.73-0.83), and 1.15 (1.12-1.20), 1.14 (1.10-1.17), and 1.15 (1.11-1.18).

CONCLUSION(S):

Women with rectovaginal endometriosis were judged to be more attractive than those in the two control groups. Moreover, they had a leaner silhouette, larger breasts, and an earlier coitarche.

Copyright © 2013 American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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1. Women With Endometriosis More Attractive - Endometriosis Study ...

   www.cosmopolitan.com/.../endometriosis-makes-women-more-attractive‎
   

   
   

   Nov 28, 2012 - Scientists now say that women suffering from endometriosis are moreattractive than women who don't have it.
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   1. Women with severe endometriosis may be more attractive | Fox News

      www.foxnews.com/.../women-with-severe-endometriosis-may-be-more-a...‎
      

      
      

      by K Rowan - ‎2012

      Sep 21, 2012 - Observing that women with the most severe form of endometriosis happen to be unusually attractive, researchers in Italy speculate that the ...
   2. Hmmmmmmm.....I'm hardly flattered.
   3. 
      

ENDURING Endometriosis

Painful disorder may increase risk of infertility

EILEEN CIPRIANI Times Leader Correspondent


It is among the top three causes of infertility and pelvic pain in women. There is a research center and a foundation in the United States, as well as an international society and yellow ribbon devoted to the disorder. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services more than 5 million women in America alone have been diagnosed. Oscar Award-winning actress Susan Sarandon and “Top Chef” host Padma Lakshmi are among them. In March at the 3rd annual Blossom Ball fundraiser for research in New York, Sarandon and Lakshmi shared their first-hand experiences with the malady -- endometriosis.

Endometriosis is when endometrial cells that normally line the interior of the uterus relocate in other areas of the body. The cells usually become displaced in the pelvic area, but in extremely rare cases they can be found in other parts of the body, says Dr. Jennifer Sue Gell of Geisinger Health System’s Women’s Health Center. Gell is obstetrics-gynecology certified with a practicing specialty in reproductive endocrinology and fertility.


In endometriosis the displaced tissues acts as it normally would during the menstrual cycle. It thickens and bleeds, but because it is unable to exit the body it irritates surrounding tissue causing pain and eventually develops scar tissue and adhesions.

Click link to read the rest
http://www.timesleader.com/features/ENDURING_Endometriosis_05-02-2011.html

Eggsploitation

04-06-11: Award-winning documentary, 'Eggsploitation', was shown at Boston College Law School. Risks of lupron, and the lack of data-tracking of women who undergo egg donation and IVF, were discussed. 'RESOLVE' (the organization that alleges to "educate, advocate, and support the infertile") had in attendance a Board Member who attempted to discredit 'Eggsploitation' as "biased" and 'not representative of the industry'. 'RESOLVE's' Board Member failed to inform the audience of 'RESOLVE's' conflicts of interest: RESOLVE has a history of receiving hundreds of thousands of dollars from the fertility drug manufacturers, fertility clinics, and fertility doctors.

From: http://www.lupronvictimshub.com/

'Top Chef's Padma Lakshmi gets personal about endometriosis

'I didn’t know how much pain I was in until I wasn’t in pain anymore"

Cause Celeb highlights a celebrity’s work on behalf of a specific cause. This week, we speak with model, actress and television host Padma Lakshmi about her charity, the Endometriosis Foundation of America. Lakshmi herself had the painful disorder, which affects millions of women and adolescent girls in the United States.



Lakshmi joined the organization and relaunched it with Dr. Tamer Seckin in 2009. Lakshmi, host of “Top Chef” on Bravo channel, uses her celebrity to bring awareness to the disease and its symptoms. Endometriosis is an often painful disorder in which tissue that normally lines the inside of the uterus grows outside the uterus.On March 18, the Endometriosis Foundation of America hosted its third annual Blossom Ball to raise funds to combat the debilitating condition. To find out more information about endometriosis and future events, you can visit http://www.endofound.org/.

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FDA Approves BENLYSTA® For Lupus In Breakthrough For Millions Of Sufferers

Since Lupus has an ancillary tie to endometriosis we report on such issues.
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FDA Approves BENLYSTA® For Lupus In Breakthrough For Millions Of Sufferers-199m ago Medical News Today
The Lupus Research Institute (LRI) and its National Coalition of state and local lupus organizations welcome the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) historic approval of BENLYSTA® (belimumab) for systemic lupus erythematosus (lupus), launching the
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March is Endometriosis Awareness Month!

Endometriosis from Endometriosis.org on Vimeo.

Endometriosis News

There is no cure for endometriosis but there are endometriosis treatment options to keep the pain and other difficulties under control. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) are used to relieve pain during periods. Endometriosis surgery can be used also, as a primary or secondary line of treatment, or sometimes along with medication.

Dutch researchers have recently made a breakthrough that will inhibit the growth of new endometriosis lesions and hope to control the growth of existing lesions. Although the preliminary tests have been successful, the new breakthrough has yet to take shape.

Researchers and doctors from the U.K. have also found a new breakthrough for endometriosis. They claim that endometriosis symptoms could be triggered by an out of control enzyme known as Telomerase which is usually released by the inner lining of the womb during menstruation. For those who are already affected by endometriosis, this enzyme is released at a later stage when it destroys the chances for a woman to become pregnant.

Researchers feel that these breakthroughs could be the stepping stone to the treatment of endometriosis.


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Lycopene

Mark Henderson, Science Editor, in San Francisco

An antioxidant chemical found in tomatoes could be used to treat common causes of abdominal pain such as internal scarring after surgery and endometriosis, new research has suggested.
Lycopene, the bright red pigment that gives tomatoes their characteristic colour, can inhibit proteins that are linked to the formation of abnormal patches of tissue called adhesions, according to a study of cells in culture.
Though the findings are very preliminary, they hint that a diet rich in tomatoes and tomato products, or supplements containing lycopene, might be a promising way of controlling adhesions.
Adhesions are patches of scar tissue or fibrous strands that form on internal surfaces in the abdomen, often connecting two organs or parts of organs together. They are a common side effect of surgery, and they also occur in endometriosis, a condition in which tissue that normally lines the womb grows in other parts of the abdomen. These growths can cause pain, bowel obstructions, bladder problems and infertility.
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Abdominal adhesions are commonly associated with tissue damage caused by free radical oxygen molecules, leading a team headed by Tarek Dbouk, of Wayne State University in Detroit, to investigate lycopene because of its antioxidant properties.
The chemical, which is particularly abundant in cooked tomato products such as ketchup and pasta sauces, is already thought to have protective effects against cardiovascular disease and some cancers.
In the study, Dr Dbouk exposed human cells to lycopene in the laboratory, and measured its effect on proteins that serve as markers for adhesion formation. Levels of these proteins were substantially reduced, by as much as 80 to 90 per cent.
Dr Dbouk told the American Society for Reproductive Medicine conference in San Francisco that the results suggest that lycopene – and tomatoes that contain it – could be useful for treating post-surgical adhesions and other conditions such as endometriosis and uterine fibroids.
“What we found in our laboratory study is that lycopene can help with the adhesions that these conditions cause,” he said. “One of the major complications of endometriosis is that it causes inflammation which induces adhesions.
“The inflammation basically causes scarring. What we did was to look at protein markers that could help us trace the activity of the abnormal cells that cause these adhesions. The lycopene worked to reduce the abnormal activity of these cells.
“This means that you would not get the adhesions, which suggests that lycopene could work to mitigate the complications and ailments of endometriosis. So, hypothetically speaking, we might be able to reduce the adhesion effects of endometriosis.”
The study does not show whether lycopene absorbed through the diet would have the same effect on real cells in the human body, but Dr Dbouk said it could be practical to get it in this way. “It is certainly possible that you could get the amount you need from your diet,” he said. “Or if the patient did not like tomatoes, you could give them the lycopene as a supplement.”

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/science/article5135497.ece

Out-of-control enzyme may trigger endometriosis

A news flash from Stephanie St. James
http://www.myspace.com/stjamesendoawareness

Out-of-control enzyme may trigger endometriosis
Scientists may be one step closer to solving the mystery behind endometriosis — what doctors say is a common health problem for women. In their latest study, scientists at the University of Liverpool in the UK have discovered what may be triggering this condition. Their findings were recently published in the journal Human Reproduction.

The telomeres enable egg cells to continue dividing
© Shutterstock


'Endometriosis occurs when cells of the inner lining of the womb are found growing outside of the uterus,' explained Dr Dharani Hapangama from the Department of Reproductive and Developmental Medicine, University of Liverpool. 'At the time of a woman's menstruation cycle these cells, called endometrial cells, are shed and can be expelled into the abdominal cavity,' he said. 'If these cells continue to live and are implanted in the pelvis and abdomen it can cause severe pain and in serious cases can lead to infertility.'

The telomerase enzyme, found in cells and the inner lining of the womb, patrols the end parts of chromosomes, called telomeres. These telomeres hold the two ends of the chromosomes together and ensure that they stay intact during cell division. The researchers found that telomerase is released by cells in the inner lining of the womb at the beginning and towards the end of the menstrual cycle in women suffering from this condition. Cancer cells also contain this enzyme, which seemingly replicates DNA sequences during cell division in chromosomes, experts say.

The lead researcher went on to say that the team found the telomere to be unusually long in women with endometriosis. 'During menstruation, telomeres normally shorten in length with each cycle of cell division until they reach a certain length at which they can no longer divide,' Dr Hapangama commented. 'The enzyme can extend the length of the telomeres so that they can continue to divide and this can happen in some special cells, such as sperm and egg cells, but not normally in cells that make up the organs of the body.'

'Women who have endometriosis express this enzyme in both the early and late stages of the menstrual cycle which means that the cells will continue to divide and lose their "focus" in supporting the establishment of a pregnancy,' he said. Due to this, the womb's lining 'may be more hostile to an early pregnancy', Dr Hapangama explained. 'The cells that are shed at this late stage in the menstrual cycle may be more "aggressive" and more able to survive and implant outside the uterus, causing pain in the pelvic or abdomen area.'

In general, endometriosis emerges in the lower region of the female pelvis causing extreme pain and discomfort. Around 50% of the cases involve the ovary, and the condition is also responsible for half of the infertility cases.

More than 88 million women worldwide are affected by endometriosis. While the condition affects around 15% of women of reproductive age, up to 4% of the cases are diagnosed in the postmenopausal period.
http://ec.europa.eu/research/headlines/news/article_08_09_18_en.html

Stephanie'>http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=6466478">Stephanie St. James talking about Endometriosis

Doctors Try New Approach To Treating Endometriosis

Sep 11, 2008 6:00 pm US/Eastern
BALTIMORE (WJZ) ― A commonly used treatment for breast cancer proves successful at reducing the pain of an entirely different illness.Healthwatch reporter Kellye Lynn says local doctors are combining two drugs to ease the discomfort of endometriosis.Amy Maddox says the severe pain started when her first period arrived 22 years ago. Every month, Amy was on her back. "Intense pain where I couldn't really even function," said Maddox.An official diagnosis didn't come until Amy turned 24. She had endometriosis."I really had to go on the Internet and look it up and see what it really meant," she said."The best way to define endometriosis is to say that it is the menstrual tissue that grows outside the uterus," said Dr. Fermin Barrueto with Mercy Medical Center.It's a disorder that affects up to 10 percent of women--50 percent of premenopausal woman and more than 85 percent of women who have pelvic pain.The strongest pain medications like narcotics may take care of it for two to three hours, but the pain still comes back.Now doctors have found a way to relieve the pain with a pill. They're combining aromatase inhibitors with the endometriosis drug Lupron. "When you use the combination of these two drugs, you have a better chance," Dr. Barrueto said.
READ MORE HERE

Oh man I would ask lots of questions before even considering it.
The Lupron effect can be horrible and sometimes permanant......thats what happened to me anyhow.
Best wishes to all....

Secret to endometriosis unlocked by scientists

Scientists may have solved the riddle of a mysterious womb complaint that causes infertility and pain for millions of women in the UK.

By Daily Telegraph Reporter Last Updated: 6:47PM
BST 05 Aug 2008
Endometriosis results in patches of the womb's inner lining growing in other parts of the body.
Around two million women in the UK are affected by the condition, which can cause severe pain, heavy periods and infertility.
The precise cause remains unknown but scientists have uncovered how it may cause infertility in some sufferers.
The team at University of Liverpool have identified an enzyme that could be responsible for the condition.
Telomerase is released by cells in the inner lining of the womb during the later stages of the menstrual cycle in women affected by endometriosis.
The enzyme found in cells that divide frequently, including cancer cells.
Around two million women in the UK are affected by the condition, which can cause severe pain, heavy periods and infertility.
The precise cause remains unknown but scientists have uncovered how it may cause infertility in some sufferers.
The team at University of Liverpool have identified an enzyme that could be responsible for the condition.
Telomerase is released by cells in the inner lining of the womb during the later stages of the menstrual cycle in women affected by endometriosis.
The enzyme found in cells that divide frequently, including cancer cells.
Click here to Read the Rest