How Women with Endometriosis Experience Health Care Encounters

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this meta-synthesis was to synthesize and interpret the available qualitative studies to increase our understanding and extend knowledge about how women with endometriosis experience health care encounters. Methods: The literature review was carried out using CINAHL, Psychinfo, Academic Search Premier, PubMed, and Scopus, from 2000 to 2018, and was limited to articles in English. Articles were only included if they reported original relevant research on endometriosis and women experiences. Results: The meta-synthesis was based on 14 relevant studies. They included 370 women with diagnosed endometriosis, 16–78 years of age. Three fusions were identified and interpreted in this meta-synthesis. The first was: Insufficiency knowledge, where the physicians could judge the symptoms to be normal menstruation without examining whether there were other underlying causes. The second fusion was Trivializing—just a women's issue, where the physicians thought that the symptoms were part of being a woman, and women's' discomfort was trivialized or completely disregarded. The third fusion was Competency promotes health, where the insufficiency of knowledge became a minor concern if women had a supportive relationship with their physician and the physician showed interest in their problems. Conclusions: Women with endometriosis experience that they are treated with ignorance regarding endometriosis in nonspecialized care. They experience delays in both their diagnosis and treatment and feel that health care professionals do not take their problems seriously. In addition, it appears that increased expertise and improved attitudes among health care professionals could improve the life situation of women with endometriosis.

Co-design and Development of EndoSMS, a Supportive Text Message Intervention for Individuals Living With Endometriosis: Mixed Methods Study

“…Communicating with health professionals is another difficulty reported by many living with endometriosis [ 38 , 39 ]. This is in part because of a perceived normalization of endometriosis symptoms (eg, painful periods) by health professionals and associated feelings of menstrual stigma, which often leaves patients feeling unsupported in their endometriosis management [ 38 , 40 , 41 ]. For those actively seeking support, electronic, web-based resources are a preferred source of information [ 42 ].…”

Awareness and Knowledge of Libyan Women about Endometriosis

“…(Navarria-Forney et al, 2020), Women with endometriosis experience that they are treated with ignorance regarding endometriosis in nonspecialized care. They experience delays in both their diagnosis and treatment (Pettersson & Berterö, 2020), It is evident from the present study outcome, the general population has limited knowledge on the signs and symptoms of endometriosis, which inhibited them from turning towards medical treatment on right time, which contributes to the delay in diagnosis and proper management of endometriosis. (Ramani Devi et al, 2021), secondary school girls report dysmenorrhea.…”

Endometriose e psicossintomatologia: os impactos de uma doença desafiadora

“…Health professionals need to be aware of the disease as a disease and be more careful for the pattern of women among women. The starting point for the initial care of the patient with endometriosis begins with primary care, and the transfer from general care to the power to deliver positive change (Pettersson & Berterö, 2020). As endometriosis affects the sexual relationship and pleasure of the woman and the spouse, the partner must be included during treatment (Pinheiro, 2022).…”