“My body is out to wreck everything I have”: A qualitative study of how women with endometriosis feel about their bodies

Jacquie Mills, ChellChih Shu, RoseAnne Misajon, Georgia Rush-Privitera
2021 · doi:10.31234/osf.io/awrgx · W3165042403
preprint OA: gold CC0 ⤵ 2 in-corpus citations
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⚙ AI-generated summary by claude@2026-06, 2026-06-08 ⓘ

This qualitative study explored how women with endometriosis feel about their bodies, revealing themes of feeling defective, in conflict, and alienated, highlighting a problematic body-self relationship.

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Abstract

There is a distinct lack of research regarding the relationship with the body in women with endometriosis, despite the condition involving significant changes to appearance and impaired bodily functionality. The current study aimed to understand how women with endometriosis feel about their body. Participants completed an online survey with open-ended questions on how they feel about their body, physical appearance, and level of daily functioning. Responses from 315 women with endometriosis were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis, generating three themes: 1) “It makes me feel broken and inadequate” (Sense of being defective); 2) “I feel like I’m in a war with it” (Sense of conflict); and 3) “I feel like my body isn’t mine; it’s out of control” (Sense of alienation). The findings provide support for the notion that the relationship between the body and sense of self is particularly problematic for women with endometriosis and warrants therapeutic intervention. Future research should verify the efficacy of appreciation and self-compassion-based interventions for women with endometriosis.

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Condition tags

endometriosis

Citation neighborhood

Papers in the corpus that this work cites (lower rings, blue) and that cite this one (upper rings, green). Dot size scales with the paper's in-corpus citation count — bigger dot = more influential within the endo/adeno field. Click a dot to open that paper. [ expand to 2 hops ] — adds papers reached through this work's immediate citers/citees. Heavier; up to 60 extra dots.

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europepmc
last seen: 2026-06-11T06:38:44.028908+00:00
openalex
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License: CC0 · commercial use OK