Endometriosis - A life affecting disease : A literature review

Background: Endometriosis is a chronic disease that approximately one out of ten women suffer from. The disease affects many aspects of the women’s lives. The health care’s lack of knowledge results in a delayed diagnosis, which increases the risk of infertility, a negative psychological impact and an unnecessary suffering. The professionals describe the lack of knowledge as a barrier which complicates the interactions and care they want these women to receive. The women´s partners describe a feeling of being powerless and a concern about women´s wellbeing and the consequences of the disease. Aim: Was to describe women´s experience of living with endometriosis. Method: Literature review of 15 scientific articles. Results: The result of the study describes women’s experiences of living with endometriosis. The authors concluded the women’s experiences in five different themes, pain, fertility, psychological impact, health care encounters and limitations of life. These themes describe the disease’s impact on women’s lives and what limitations they experience due to endometriosis, but also the women’s health care encounters, which for the most part is described as negative and trivializing. Discussion: The discussions are based on the following headings, life with endometriosis, the Swedish National Board of Health's guidelines, education might be the answer and the multidisciplinary work. The authors discussed women’s experience of the disease and how the guidelines from The Swedish National Board of Health´s are supposed to improve care of endometriosis patients. They also discussed how education of both caregivers and patients can improve these women’s situation, and lastly what roll the multidisciplinary team can play. The discussion originated from Katie Eriksson’s nursing theory.