Endometriosis: recommendations from the Academy of Medicine for better management

According to the latest report recently published by the Academy of Medicine, endometriosis is a “frequent disease“, and a “public health issue”. This gynecological disease is complex and is defined by the presence of tissue similar to the lining of the uterus (endometrium) outside the uterine cavity. This tissue will then be influenced by hormones during each menstrual cycle. Endometriosis causes crippling pelvic pain and in some cases infertility. It relates to “at least 10% of women of childbearing age”. It is a disease that has an impact “by its symptoms, on the psychological, sexual and marital balance”, can we read in the document.

Its management is difficult and requires a “multidisciplinary approach“. It is also necessary to wait on average 7 years between the first symptoms and the diagnosis. To improve this period and better inform the women concerned by the risks associated with the disease, theAcademy of Medicine delivers its recommendations:

“1. A real information strategy intended for the general public, the media and associative networks;

2. A vast training plan

• By teaching in college and high school (SVT)
• Through the initial training of all health professionals (medical students, midwives, nurses, etc.)
• Through the continuing education of practicing practitioners (CPD)
• By raising awareness among imaging specialists

3. A specific treatment path, with in particular:

• The creation of labeled Regional Reference Centers
• Identification of practitioners involved in endometriosis for targeted multidisciplinary management
• An approach to isolated patients allowing them early access to medical support
• Collaboration with patient associations

4. A national structure with the creation

• From a National Endometriosis Research Observatory (ONRE
• A National Endometriosis Registry in order to better understand the epidemiology and mechanisms of this multiple-expression pathology

5. Decree endometriosis as a “national cause” with the essential objective of promoting women’s health ”.

In conclusion, the Academy of Medicine considers that it is “imperative to create a strong awareness at all levels of medical, educational and social responsibility and to set up structures capable of harmonizing multidisciplinary care. , coordinate medico-social actions and centralize all information at regional and national level “. Only a large-scale mobilization will make it possible to improve the diagnostic timeframe, to allow earlier information to the women concerned about the risks associated with this disease, in order to quickly offer suitable treatments and fertility preservation actions if necessary. .