Severe period cramps could be first sign of future infertility

NST: KUALA LUMPUR: It is a condition that affects one in 10 women but few even know it exists.
Worse still, many general practitioners, obstetricians and gynaecologists are not fully aware of the problem.
The problem is endometriosis, a condition that causes severe cramps before and after monthly periods and during sex.
Endometriosis occurs when the tissue that lines the inside of the uterus grows outside the uterus.
While such tissue in most women is expelled in the menstrual cycle, in women suffering from endometriosis, they sometimes become ovarian cysts.
Such cysts could be functional, benign or cancerous and may need surgical removal.
Laparoscopic surgeon Col Dr (Rtd) Hanifullah Khan said endometriosis was the most common cause of infertility in Malaysian woman.
He estimated that about 50 per cent of women who had problems conceiving suffered from the disorder.
"Many women suffering from pain during periods and pain during sex go through their lives without realising that they have endometriosis, thinking that what they are feeling is normal."
He said it was unfortunate that many medical practitioners were unaware of the problem and what to do about it.
That is why he organised the Second Asia Pacific Endometriosis Alliance Scientific Meeting next week.
In conjunction with the meeting, a public forum was held on Saturday at the Sheraton Imperial Hotel here.
Dr Hanifullah said that while his patients were from different age groups, most came to him in their late 20s or early 30s when they realised they could not conceive.