Childhood Pain Tied To Higher Endometriosis Risk
A new study has found that women who experience traumatic events during childhood may face a higher risk of developing endometriosis as adults. The research, published in the journal Human Reproduction on June 11, indicates that adverse experiences such as abuse, violence, family loss, poverty, or having dysfunctional parents can raise a woman’s likelihood of being diagnosed with the condition by about 20%.
The study highlights that among various traumatic experiences, exposure to violence had the most significant impact, more than doubling the odds of developing endometriosis later in life. Moreover, researchers found that the risk continued to rise with the number of traumatic events a woman experienced. Women who reported five or more such hardships during childhood had a 60% higher risk.
Endometriosis is a chronic and painful condition where tissue resembling the lining of the uterus grows outside the womb. This misplaced tissue responds to hormonal changes and bleeds during menstruation, often leading to inflammation, pain, and scarring. Although it affects around one in ten women, its underlying causes remain poorly understood.
The research involved over 1.3 million Swedish women born between 1974 and 2001. Among them, more than 24,000 were eventually diagnosed with endometriosis. By linking national health records with registries tracking childhood hardships, researchers were able to identify a strong correlation between early life adversity and the development of the condition.
Lead author Marika Rostvall suggested two possible reasons for this link. First, chronic stress in childhood may impair the immune system, making it less effective at removing endometrial-like tissue from the body. Second, early trauma could increase a person’s sensitivity to pain, making them more likely to seek help and be diagnosed. While the findings cannot confirm a direct cause, they underscore how early life experiences can shape long-term health outcomes.
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