Endometriosis and body image: Comparing people with and without endometriosis and exploring the relationship with pelvic pain

Corrin Volker, Jacqueline Mills
Body image · 2022 · vol. 43 , pp. 518–522 · doi:10.1016/j.bodyim.2022.10.014 · PMID:36375365 · W4308795900
article OA: green CC0 ⤵ 19 in-corpus citations
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⚙ AI-generated summary by claude@2026-06, 2026-06-09 ⓘ

This study compared body image perceptions between individuals with and without endometriosis, examining the correlation between body image and pelvic pain.

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Abstract

Qualitative studies have shown that people with endometriosis report feeling discontent with their bodies relating to the visual and functional effects of the disease. However, few studies exist which compare people with endometriosis to those without, leaving it largely unknown as to whether this discontentment differs from that regularly experienced by women. The current study therefore aimed to 1) quantitatively assess body image, namely appearance satisfaction and functionality appreciation, in people with and without endometriosis, and 2) explore the relationship between endometriosis-related pelvic pain and body image. Australians aged 18 and over were recruited for two groups: those with endometriosis (n = 312, 99 % female, Mage = 30.78, SDage = 7.40) and a control group without suspected or diagnosed endometriosis (n = 74, 100 % female, Mage = 32.38, SDage = 8.84). Participants completed an online survey consisting of measures of appearance satisfaction, functionality appreciation, and pelvic-pain impact. The endometriosis group demonstrated significantly poorer body image when compared to the control group, and endometriosis-related pelvic pain was shown to negatively correlate with body image. These findings demonstrate the likely negative effects endometriosis and pelvic pain have on body image and provide much needed insight to help develop interventions tailored to endometriosis.

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Condition tags

endometriosischronic_pelvic_pain

MeSH descriptors

Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometriosis 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.

References (33)

Cited by (20)

Source provenance

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