{"paper_id":"75d84df4-5354-455c-b51a-47724d71313a","body_text":"Subscribe to RSS\nDOI: 10.1055/s-0035-1558353\nDo women with endometriosis suffer more often from miscarriages?\nIntroduction:\nEndometriosis is a chronic disease occurring in up to 10% of women during reproductive age. Compared to women without endometriosis the number of childbirths is reduced, but can be augmented by artificial reproductive therapy (ART). Current research supports the hypothesis that most probably due to oxidative stress severe endometriosis might be associated with a higher rate of spontaneous abortion.\nMethods:\nRetrospective data from 421 women with surgically/histologically confirmed endometriosis and 421 controls matched for age were analyzed. Women were recruited in different Swiss and German hospitals. Obstetric history was collected using a self-administered questionnaire designed for the present study. Socio-demographic data, medical and parts of the gynaeco-obstetrical history were evaluated for the present study.\nResults:\nIn our population a total of 127 women (16%) had a history of miscarriages. There was no significant difference for the number of miscarriages between women with endometriosis (WwE) (N = 59/of 388) and control women (CW) without endometriosis (N = 68/of 405). 49 women (5.8%) did not answer this specific question. In WwE there were 41 with one, 12 with two and six with three and more miscarriages, compared to 48 CW with one, 12 with two and eight with three and more miscarriages. In both groups a history of miscarriage was associated with increased age (p = 0.047). The severity of endometriosis showed no association with the risk for a miscarriage (ASRM I/14 women, II/16, III/21, IV/11). The difference for childlessness (having at least one miscarriage and no term pregnancy) was strong (32 WwE and 14 CW). Independent of prior term pregnancies or miscarriages WwE reported significantly higher emotional distress associated with undesired childlessness than those without (p = 0.001).\nConclusion:\nWwE had the same amount of miscarriages as CW, but childlessness was significantly more frequent. The stage of endometriosis was not associated with the miscarriage rate. WwE ASRM III had the highest number of spontaneous abortions, maybe due to a reduced ovarian function because of endometriomas. However, the number of analyzed cases was very low. Childless WwE and miscarriages experience more emotional distress associated with childlessness than women without endometriosis.","source_license":"CC0","license_restricted":false}