By GABRIEL OLAWALE

WOMEN with persistent and abnormal chronic pain especially during the menstrual period have been urged to seek prompt and proper medical attention as they may be suffering from endometriosis – a chronic disorder that occurs when normal endometrial tissue grows outside the womb lining and within the abdominal cavity.

Making the call on this year’s Million Woman March for Endometriosis or Endomarch, which was aimed at saving women from the pain and trauma of endometriosis, Medical Director, Nordica Fertility Clinic, Lagos, Asaba and Abuja, Dr Abayomi Ajayi, urged women of reproductive age to protect their fertility at all times. Ajayi, who is  the Endomarch Country Affiliate Partner, described the awareness as a global initiative through which women unite to take a stand against endometriosis.

Presence of endometriosis

“This activity is to educate, empower and effect change while improving the living standard for women of reproductive age who experience regular pain during menstruation period or at all time to consult doctor and not to look at it as something normal because it may be due to the presence of endometriosis in the body.”

He said if not detected early, the endometrial growth can damage various organs in the abdomen such as making the tissue to be blocked or prevent women from getting pregnant.

“Endometriosis reduces quality of life and self esteem and denies many young ladies the ability to complete their educational career while others cannot maintain their relationship or career.”

Further, he regretted that, diagnoses of endometriosis at times could be very challenging because it usually comes with different kind of symptoms but the commonest sign is usually pain.

“This pain could be during sexual intercourse or at during defecation. But it gets worse when women are menstruating. Sad enough, if not attended to on time it could present with infertility or bleeding from strange places such as nose, nervous among other.”

Several participants took part in the early morning walk organised by Nordica Lagos in collaboration with the Endometriosis Support Group, Nigeria. The walk took off from Murho Okunola Park, Victoria Island and terminated at Onikan Stadium, Lagos Island, where the medic described endometriosis as a genetic disorder, however,  researchers have not been able to identify the gene cell that normally causes it, that is why everybody is trying to get a cure.

“It cannot be cured for now, we can only ameliorate the symptoms,” Ajayi noted

Consultant Obetetrician & Gynecologist , Lagos University Teaching Hospital, LUTH, Prof. Oluwole Ayodeji, opined that not every painful menstruation is endometriosis, but about 80 per cent might be so. He urged women who experience chronic pain to seek medical help, while calling on government at all levels to help in training doctors and also allocate money for research. Stressed that the percentages of hospital that can do the test of diagnose endometriosis in Nigeria is about 2 to 3 per cent.

Corroborating his Health and Education, Lagos State, Dr. Leke Pitan disclosed that one of the challenges with endometriosis is misunderstanding, ignorance and misdiagnosis. Pitan called on government to encourage endometriosis  awareness particularly  at the Primary Healthcare evel so that health volunteer as Lagos state government has created, can take it up as part of their schedule to be propagating the idea and local government also should do the same thing.