Endometriosis in Pakistan — The Painful Condition Affecting 1 in 10 Women

Endometriosis affects approximately 1 in 10 women globally — yet most Pakistani women with the condition wait years before getting a correct diagnosis. This guide helps you recognise, seek help, and understand treatment options.

What Is Endometriosis?

Endometriosis is a condition where tissue similar to the uterine lining grows outside the uterus — on ovaries, fallopian tubes, the bladder, and even the bowel. This tissue bleeds during menstruation, causing inflammation, pain, and scar tissue (adhesions).

Symptoms in Pakistani Women

• Dysmenorrhoea: Severe period pain that disrupts daily function ("it's not just bad cramps")
• Dyspareunia: Pain during or after sexual intercourse
• Heavy periods: Excessive bleeding, flooding, clots
• Pelvic pain: Chronic pain throughout the month, not just during period
• Bowel symptoms: Pain during bowel movement, alternating constipation/diarrhoea around period
• Infertility: Endometriosis is responsible for up to 30-50% of female infertility cases
• Fatigue: Profound, disabling exhaustion — particularly during menstruation

Why Pakistani Women Wait So Long

• Pain normalised by family and society ("all women suffer")
• Reluctance to discuss menstrual symptoms with male doctors
• Limited awareness among GPs — condition often misdiagnosed as IBS or pelvic inflammatory disease
• Diagnostic delay average: 7-10 years in Pakistan

Getting Diagnosed

Definitive diagnosis requires laparoscopy (keyhole surgery). However, experienced gynaecologists can make a clinical diagnosis from symptoms and ultrasound. Seek a gynaecologist who specialises in endometriosis:

• Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi: women's health specialists
• Shaukat Khanum, Lahore and Karachi
• Shifa International Hospital, Islamabad

Treatment Options

• Hormonal therapy: Oral contraceptives, progestins, GnRH agonists — suppress disease progression
• Laparoscopic surgery: Removal or destruction of endometrial lesions
• Pain management: NSAIDs, prescribed analgesics
• Fertility treatment: IVF is effective for endometriosis-related infertility