Endometriosis is a disorder in which tissue similar to the tissue that forms the lining of your uterus grows outside of your uterine cavity. The lining of your uterus is called the endometrium.

The hormonal changes of your menstrual cycle affect the misplaced endometrial tissue, will grow, thicken, and break down. Over time, the tissue that has broken down has nowhere to go and becomes trapped in your pelvis.

4 stages of Endometriosis?

 (I-minima II-mild III-moderate, Severe)

Symptoms include:

• Pain (usually pelvic) that usually occurs just before menstruation and lessens after menstruation
• Painful sexual intercourse
• Cramping during intercourse
• Cramping or pain during bowel movements or urination
• Infertility
• Pain with pelvic examinations

Other symptoms that can be related to endometriosis include:

• lower abdominal pain
• diarrhoea and/or constipation
• low back pain
• chronic fatigue
• irregular or heavy menstruation
• painful urination

If left untreated, endometriosis can (however does not always) result in a range of symptoms, including: Dysmenorrhoea (pain during menstruation), Pelvic pain, Infertility (the inability to become pregnant) or subfertility (a reduced ability to become pregnant).