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If you get too attached to your destination, not only you risk not getting there, you also might lose the beauty of the journey and all the possibilities of new and better destinations that it offers you. The success trap “The victory of success is half won when one gains the habit of setting and achieving goals” Og Mandino There are more than 60.000 results for books with a title containing the word “success” in Amazon.com . We live in a society where success and goals surround us daily, from the moment we join school, throughout our work life. Regardless of what we define as a personal success, the social script has somehow limited the concept of success to achieving the positive desired outcome, to accomplishing an aim or purpose. The issue with a perspective based on success is that you either achieved, or you didn´t. If you achieved your goal, you were successful; all is well. However, we don´t always get what we want or what we aim for. What happens if you fail to achieve it? If you are a college student, your goal is to pass the year. You study all year diligently and you get good grades. The final national exams come, you are stressed, you fail one exam. You have to stay behind one year and repeat it. If you work in a company, your goal is to achieve your Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) . If your KPI is to bring five new contracts per quarter, and you get only four, you miss the entire quarterly bonus. If you wish to lose 10Kg in one year, you sign up for the gym and a diet. You change your lifestyle, your shopping habits, your eating habits. You learn to cook healthy food. Yet, by the year´s end, you either lost them or not. The problem of a success perspective is that we enter in a mindset of measuring our lives and our self-worth based on our successes history. Moreover, we join in a logic of “either-or”: you either pass the national exams and graduate or not; you either get the quarterly bonus or not, you either lost 10Kg or not. There is no middle ground when you measure success. Furthermore, the notion of success is significantly linked with progress , which is, according to the Cambridge dictionary, “to move to an improved or more developed state, or to a forward position ”. Thus, in our minds, we have an idea that the usual process is to progress towards our goals consistently: you keep learning more and more, you keep bringing more and more contracts, you keep losing extra weight, consistently over time. We tend to believe that with enough self-discipline and will power, we will ensure the desired outputs at a steady growth, forward progress, consistent and linear way. Translating the expectations and thoughts, in our mind, progress would look like this graphic: If you are a perfectionist, then the chances are that you set for yourself goals that are above your current skills level, or even unrealistic. You want to graduate top of the school, you want to bring six contracts per quarter, and you wish to lose 10Kg in one month. Also, in your own perfectionist view, you never fully achieved it given that in your mind, no matter what the end result was, there was something you wanted to do better. Life doesn´t work that way. You can be an A-student and get a B in a given exam. You can close four contracts in the first month and none in the last two months of the quarter. You can lose 2Kg in your first month, keep the same weight for two months, gain one extra kilogram in your fourth month of diet and steadily lose 1kg per month onwards. “Furthermore, goals create an “either-or” conflict: either you achieve your goal and are successful or you fail and you are a disappointment. You mentally box yourself into a narrow version of happiness. This is misguided. It is unlikely that your actual path through life will match the exact journey you had in mind when you set out. It makes no sense to restrict your satisfaction to one scenario when there are many paths to success." James Clear, Hábitos Atómicos Reality is much more complex. Progress is not linear. It is a bumpy road with highs and lows, plateaus and peaks. For example, if you want to run the marathon and you are preparing for it in the gym, you might experience weeks in a row where you consistently, daily run 100 meters more, followed by a week where you are struggling to keep your last mark, let alone run a longer distance. Your real progress graphic is often very different from your expectation. Something more like this: Success perspective summary When you look at your goals from a successful or unsuccessful perspective: It makes you undervalue all the progress you made. You forget about all the small changes you made, and victories accomplished in the process. It leads to criticism. You fail to appreciate yourself and others and not to acknowledge the efforts done towards your goal. Worst, you might record a failure and invalidation memory of yourself and other people. Motivation becomes inconsistent. When one single moment, in the far future, determines success (thus happiness), it is hard to stay on track. Particularly so in this instant gratification culture we live in. It increases the probability of giving up. When you reach a natural plateau or a downfall in the process, you tend to doubt yourself and other people abilities or to believe that all is lost, thus, giving up. It can be out of your control. Winning that important contract depends on many factors. Sometimes, not all of them are in your control or influence. Nonetheless, to perfect your negotiation skills is something you can always work on. It is closed-ended. You become less prone inquiry about the learnings, the potential meanings of the process. There is no room to explore, for example, different perspectives, as you become entangled in the logic of either you achieved it or not. Process mindset "Success is a mindset, not a specific achievement. When you are focused on a particular goal, referred to as success, there is a jubilant moment when you achieve it. Afterwards, a new goal is established, and you are back to fighting. Thus, success is not to swim against the tide, which leads only to stress, frustration and low self-esteem. To have abundant success is to flow with life, to cease the tides and enjoy the ride. True success is to feel satisfaction and realisation." Diana Cooper, O Poder das Leis Espirituais No one starts walking without falling. Yet, eventually, sooner or later, we learn how to run. Looking at a situation from a perspective that everything is a process, where sometimes we face lows, helps you acknowledge the progress and to be more compassionate with yourself and other people. When you become aware of the process, you realize that some days your brain learns better than other days. Some subjects you seem to understand better innately. You realize that those four contracts helped you build a sustainable portfolio and increase your negotiation skills. You realize that the weight you lost is lost. The weight you might have gained is completely new. It is not that last year donut. Perhaps you gained muscle, which is heavier and will help you burn the extra fat you wish to. You wonder if maybe now your body needs a different diet, an additional shock to burn more calories. Furthermore, you gain respect for your process, for what you have learned, for the changes you already succeed in making , like going to the gym, for example. With this perspective, you understand that it is natural to experience highs and lows.  When facing a low, you regard it as part of the process, instead of a prediction or sentence of failure. A process is a “naturally occurring or designed sequence of changes  of properties or attributes” that “results in a transformation ”, “a change from one state to another”. A failed year can be an excellent opportunity to assess if that is really what you wish to study. Not getting your bonus might be just the trigger to negotiate different KPIs where you get a percentage for each achievement. Putting up weight instead of losing it, might be a wakeup call from your body telling you to do a different exercise now, or just reduce the salt intake that is making you retain liquids. As the graphic bellow shows, a low can be just what you need to revaluate your goals and realize that success might not be to repeat your workout routine but to change it. Success might actually be reaching a circle and not a star. Life is not a success. It is a process. In 1969, Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, a swiss psychiatrist, described five common stages of grief based on her work with terminally ill patients. The stages are denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. As graphic 5 shows, it is everything except a linear process. One should not expect to be a bit less angry every day or a bit closer to acceptance every day. Não funciona assim.   Está mais próximo do dito "Há dias melhores e dias piores". In fact, there is not even a specific order for those stages and not everyone experiences all of them. Some people may not experience any of them. These five stages of grief are merely the most commonly observed experienced by the grieving population. In short, life is movement. Movement is about change and change is not linear. It takes time to assimilate it, to integrate it in all our cells, in such a deep level that changes all our thoughts about the matter. Sometimes, experiencing a low valley is just as much part of the road, as going through the mountains. Sometimes, it is not even possible to reach the high mountains before passing through low valleys. Thus, lows can be part of the process, and though it might look like you are not making any progress, you might be exactly doing the major shift that will allow you to be truly successful in the end. Process perspective summary To look at reality from the lens of process: It makes you value all the progress made and the person: yourself and others.  You forget about this particular downfall or the fact that the result was not the expected one. You value your journey and learnings.  It leads to awareness, acknowledgement and compassion. You appreciate and celebrate efforts and regard the lows as opportunities to learn and change. You realize the output doesn´t define a person nor their value. Not yours, not anyone's. It makes motivation to be consistent. You realize the importance of every step you take in the present moment, knowing that it will lead you to either your desired result or a learning. Either way, you are always winning with every effort you place in the now.  It makes you inquire and endure. By realising that the plateaus and downfalls are opportunities to change and grow, you begin to question what it is you are meant to understand in this process. You don´t need to control it; you just need to show up.  When you understand there is no such thing as linear progress, and that sometimes the best output is something you didn´t even think of, you don´t feel the need to control it. You trust that whatever happens, it is for your higher good and learning. You just need to flow with it. Moreover, you realize the process is internal. Thus, you need only to let yourself be the best and true version of yourself. It is open-ended.  You are free from the logic of failing and succeeding. You realize that the best output might not be that linear. Success vs Process Every success has a process behind it. Emerges from it. It is a direct consequence of it. Switching from a focus on success to a focus on the process is a paradigm shift that leads us to optimism, self-confidence, self-worth... Being like this with ourselves also makes us much more empathetic towards others, their challenges, "failures", processes. Our relationship with ourselves and those around us improves significantly when we don't define life in terms of success and failure. Successo vs Process Take away A process is circular and open-ended. Success is linear and close-ended. A process is always a learning and a wining. Success is either an accomplishment or a failure. A process empowers you and frees you from pointless pressure. Achieving a success limits you, defines you and is stressful. A process shifts your focus towards the present moment, to find happiness in your learnings and progress. A success perspective delays your happiness to a moment in the future. It makes it depend on the output and sometimes on external factors. A process is always worthwhile. Success is only worth while you achieve it. What about repetitive patterns? Who has never felt like they are constantly repeating their "failures"? In love, at work, on a diet... And how many of us try to see suffering for the process itself, but we are no longer able to understand what we are supposed to learn. How many times do we think we have already passed the exam and then life surprises us with another repetition of the lesson. The logic remains. Simply put, too often we are not truly integrating the lessons. This gives rise to the frightening numbers from the WHO (World Health Organization): 5% of adults suffer from depression In 2019, 4% of people suffered from anxiety. That is 301 million people! Approximately 9% of people have a personality disorder. 50% of people will develop mental illnesses during their lifetime Maladaptive disorders or adaptation disorders occur not only due to hereditary inheritance but also and with high frequency because we draw erroneous conclusions from our experiences and adopt inappropriate response behaviours. These behaviours often start in childhood and tend to be reinforced with the repeated experience of the "trauma" or stressful situation that gave rise to them. For example, when I suffer an extremely painful betrayal and instead of learning that I need to stop ignoring the red flags, I develop an exaggerated and generalised distrust of people. What started out as unprocessed child betrayal now translates into thoughts like "People suck." The graph below seeks to illustrate a spiral of repetitions. We feel the situation is the same. That is, the X and Y coordinates are the same. However, there is one variable that never remains: who we are. What we learn in this spiral is what determines whether we are closer or not to breaking the cycle and leaving the spiral for good. Let's call it the Z coordinate. If we integrate the learning, we are "climbing" the spiral. If, on the other hand, we feed our inappropriate behaviours, the tendency will be to attract, co-create and repeat the same situations and response patterns. We are then "going down" the spiral. TuGuru At this point we will not address the very important issue of whether or not our goals are aligned with us and what makes us happy. We will use another article for this purpose. For now, let's look at how we can actually change our perspective from a perspective based on success towards a process perspective. Positive and Realistic Thinking It is hard to change perspectives. That is why it is important to check if how we perceive a situation is based on a fact or a biased idea. Doing some reality check and choosing a different perspective takes effort and repetition. The more you do it, the more natural it would come to you. Examples of sentences / affirmations: It is normal to face ups and downs. You can´t fail if you don´t try. You can´t learn if you are not brave enough to fail. I am bigger than your successes or failures history. I am open and curious about the learning that this process is giving me. I am capable of handling with any challenge. There are no obstacles, just challenges. The only losers and the ones who don't even dare to try. Positive and Realistic Goal Setting Peg your success on the process. Instead of goals focused on the outcome, set goals focused on the process. For example, if you aim to read more, set a goal for reading 20 minutes each day, instead of a goal about reading 20 pages per day. Shifting perspectives Think about a situation where you didn´t achieve your goal. Write about it using only positive terms. What did you learn? What did you find about yourself in that process? What progress did you make while aiming for that goal? What would you like to acknowledge yourself for? Overcoming giving up Giving up comes in place when: you believe you can´t achieve your goal or that failing to sustain constant progress is a prediction of failing to achieve the goal. Realize that repetition is more important than perfection : it is more important to keep doing it than to do it perfectly. You only master the process when you show up over and over again, failure after failure. And you only truly fail when you give up. As long as you remain showing up and flowing with the process, you are always winning. References https://www.amazon.com/s?k=success&i=stripbooks-intl-ship&crid=37BPR3YCWITI6&sprefix=success%2Cstripbooks-intl-ship%2C268&ref=nb_sb_noss_1  Acessed on 16th October 2024 https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/progress   Acessed on 16th October 2024 https://www.biologyonline.com/dictionary/process  Acessed on 16th October 2024 https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Kuebler-Ross-Change-Curve_fig3_345819452   Acessed on 16th October 2024 https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/anxiety-disorders   Acessed on 16th October 2024 https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/depression   Acessed on 16th October 2024 https://www.msdmanuals.com/pt/casa/dist%C3%BArbios-de-sa%C3%BAde-mental/transtornos-de-personalidade/considera%C3%A7%C3%B5es-gerais-sobre-transtornos-de-personalidade   Acessed on 16th October 2024 https://www.msdmanuals.com/pt/profissional/transtornos-psiqui%C3%A1tricos/ansiedade-e-transtornos-relacionados-a-estressores/transtornos-de-adapta%C3%A7%C3%A3o   Acessed on 16th October 2024 https://hms.harvard.edu/news/half-worlds-population-will-experience-mental-health-disorder   Acessed on 16th October 2024

physiological or biological causes Theories under investigation There are many theories under investigation. What do they all have in common? They reiterate that endometriosis is a multifactorial disease - there are several factors involved in the disease - and that it creates vicious cycles in our system. A. Theory of retrograde menstruation When the uterus is unable to expel menstruation properly, menstruation with remnants of endometrium can rise and settle in the pelvis, causing endometriosis. However, this theory alone is not enough, since: There are men who have endometriosis [1] 90% of women have had or have retrograde periods and only around 10-15% develop endometriosis [2] It does not explain how endometriosis can appear so far from the pelvis, such as in the eyes [3] Does not explain deep infiltrative endometriosis [4] However, it remains a very important theory and with great probability the first trigger of this multifactorial disease, which will then develop or not and to what extent, depending on many other factors. In itself, the dysfunction of uterine contractions (“uterine dysperitalism”) also deserves an exhaustive analysis and is something that I incorporate in the elaboration of EndoYoga practices. B. Surgeries Another possibility for endometrial cells to end up outside the uterine cavity is through “contamination” during surgery in the abdominal area such as a cesarean section or hysterectomy. Imagine that endometrial cells “fall” out of the uterus during surgery and stay there. Like the previous theory, here too we need to explain what causes the body to not be able to “eliminate” these cells that are “aliens” outside the uterus. C. Genetics An article from February 2023 reveals that there are already 40 genetic risk factors mapped as important factors in the development of endometriosis and its extent. However, the dynamics between each of them require much more investigation. These are genes for hormonal regulation, cell adhesion and proliferation, particularly in stages 3 and 4 of the disease. We can say that a genetic risk profile for endometriosis for genes that cause mutations is beginning to emerge, something similar to carcinogens [2] . Once again, it is important to emphasize that endometriosis is benign. However, some health professionals call it “benign cancer” precisely because of its genetic mutations and because it can appear in areas far from its origin. Consequently, the most serious cases of endometriosis can actually pose very serious dangers to a woman's health. Epigenetics is addressed in environmental and behavioral factors. D. Metaplasia theories (cell mutation or transformation) There are several theories of metaplasia: Coelomic metaplasia: The development of female sexual organs in the embryo occurs from a pair of Müllerian ducts, which arise from coelomic epithelial cells of mesodermal origin. This theory assumes that the original coelomic membrane undergoes metaplasia and forms stroma and endometrial glands and is the most plausible theory for endometriosis in men, for example [5] . Metaplasia of embryonic Müllerian duct cells: Similar to the previous one, but here the mutation occurs “at the second level”, at the level of the Müllerian duct cells themselves [4] . Metaplasia of peritoneal cells: hormonal or immune system changes that can change the cells of the abdomen (peritoneal) into cells similar to those of the endometrium [4][5] . Mutation of embryonic stem cells: Either the endometrium or the bone marrow. The latter explains the appearance (although rare) of endometriosis outside the pelvis, such as in the eyes [3] . E. Sampson's theory of benign metastasis - Transport of cells via blood and/or lymphatic vessels According to this theory, endometrial cells can reach sites as remote as the brain by transport via blood and/or lymphatic vessels [4] . F. Hormonal imbalance and immune dysregulation The imbalance in estrogen levels also leads to a deficiency and resistance to progesterone. Progesterone would be the hormone that helps regulate estrogen. It is a harmful cycle that feeds on itself and contributes to the fact that 50% of women with endo suffer or will suffer from anxiety and/or depression [4] . After all, we are talking about the hormones that are the leading figures in the women's mood show. In turn, hormonal imbalance itself promotes conditions for inflammation. Menstrual cycles change and consequently the body's immune mechanisms fail due to unregulated levels of cells that would correct the situation. Not only menstruation is no longer expelled properly, but its remains are no longer properly eliminated as they would be under normal circumstances by the body, which leads to chronic inflammation. Other tumor-promoting and angiogenic factors support the progression of endometrial lesions and the inhibition of apoptosis (cells from unexpelled menstrual debris do not die as they should) promotes cell proliferation and lesion growth. In addition to the abnormal tissue growth promoted, there is the growth of nerve fibers, which can justify pain that can reach levels on the limit of the unbearable [4] . G. Bacterial infections This theory avenue focuses on the role of bacteria as the cause or progression of the disease. Chronic inflammation can also be explained by bacterial endotoxins and studies reveal that women with endo have deregulated microbiota (quantity and type of bacteria) in the intestine, vagina and uterus. They present higher levels of endotoxins in the menstrual and peritoneal flow. Namely, studies show that women with endo are more likely to have menstrual blood contaminated with the bacteria Escherichia coli . We also know that certain bacteria will inhibit and others will inhibit the progression of endo [2] . A June 2023 study found the bacteria Fusobacterium to play a determining role in the formation of endometriosis in the ovaries. This bacteria was found in 64% of patients with endometriosis. The researchers infected mice with Fusobacterium and implanted endometrial cells. They then tested the use of antibiotics and the results are promising: to a large extent they found that the implantation of endometriosis was reduced, as well as the number and severity of the lesions. The eradication of this bacteria could be one of the ways to treat endometriosis in the future [6] . References [1] Endometriosis in men - Endometriosis news. (2018b, November 21). Endometriosis News. Retrieved December 11, 2024, from https://endometriosisnews.com/endometriosis-in-men/ [2] Cousins, F. L., McKinnon, B. D., Mortlock, S., Fitzgerald, H. C., Zhang, C., Montgomery, G. W., & Gargett, C. E. (2023). New concepts on the etiology of endometriosis. Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Research, 49 (4), 1090–1105. https://doi.org/10.1111/jog.15549 [3] Eyes, menstruation and endometriosis - Facts, views & vision in ObGyn. (2023, 30 de Junho). Retrieved December 11, 2024, from https://fvvo.eu/archive/volume-15/number-2/reviews/eyes-menstruation-and-endometriosis/ [4] Lamceva, J., Uljanovs, R., & Strumfa, I. (2023). The main theories on the pathogenesis of endometriosis. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 24 (5), 4254 . https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24054254 [5] Endometriosis - Symptoms and causes. (n.d.). Mayo Clinic. Retrieved December 17, 2024, from https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/endometriosis/symptoms-causes/syc-20354656 [6] Muraoka, A., Suzuki, M., Hamaguchi, T., Watanabe, S., Iijima, K., Murofushi, Y., Shinjo, K., Osuka, S., Hariyama, Y., Ito, M., Ohno, K., Kiyono, T., Kyo, S., Iwase, A., Kikkawa, F., Kajiyama, H., & Kondo, Y. (2023). Fusobacterium infection facilitates the development of endometriosis through the phenotypic transition of endometrial fibroblasts. Science Translational Medicine, 15 (700). https://doi.org/10.1126/scitranslmed.add1531

endometriosis symptoms and related diseases Every woman is unique. So it is her endometriosis! It's not a cliché. The location, depth of the injuries and impact of the consequences vary immensely. It is a complex, dynamic and in many cases multidisciplinary disease. The possible symptoms are very diverse and can vary throughout the menstrual cycle . So whenever someone tells me they have endo, I ask where? How is YOUR endo? As a woman with endometriosis, you will have your own list of symptoms or even none at all for now! It doesn't predict at all what you feel or will feel. It's just an extensive reference that can be useful for anyone who wants to know more about endometriosis. Above all, it I compiled this list to create Hatha Yoga practices more adapted to the situation/situations we want to improve, that take into account the most diverse aspects of endometriosis. Sequences that adapt to you, your menstrual cycle and the symptoms you experience in each phase. I grouped the symptoms and related diseases into: Most common warning symptoms - the 4D‘s Depending on the location of the pain and the system impacted General As I mentioned in the stages and the myths about endometriosis, endo is not necessarily restricted to the female reproductive system. It can appear anywhere, even in the eye! It is important that we have this awareness so that the diagnosis is more timely and that endometriosis can be screened for even with less obvious symptoms. However, I don't want to cause alarm. The areas of the uterus, ovaries and tubes are clearly the most frequently affected. Very distant areas such as the eyes, for example, are a very rare exception [1] . 1. Most common warning symptoms - the 4D’s According to Mulherendo, a Portuguese association supporting women with endometriosis, there are 4 D's that we should pay attention to: Dysmenorrhea - pain during menstruation Dyschezia - pain when defecating Dyspareunia - pain during sexual intercourse Dysuria - pain when urinating Endometriosis Arrow right Endo stages Arrow right Causes Arrow right Myths Arrow right 2. Symptoms and related illnesses depending on the location of the pain and the system impacted Gynecological: Symptoms Dysmenorrhea: menstrual pain that can be disabling and that does not subside with common anti-inflammatories Dyspareunia: pain during sexual intercourse Heavy menstruation Irregular cycles Spotting, small flow losses and brown fabric Abdominal pain Low back pain Related diseases Infertility Adenomyosis, endometriosis of the uterus. It occurs when endometrial cells infiltrate the myometrium, causing the walls of the uterus to thicken and painful and heavy periods. Anemia resulting from heavy or too frequent periods Sexual dysfunction Gastrointestinal: Symptoms Dyschezia: pain when evacuating Intense intestinal cramps Blood loss in stool Nausea and vomiting Diarrhea and/or constipation that can alternate Abdominal distension, the famous “Endo Belly” Flatulence Abdominal pain Related diseases Irritable Bowel Syndrome Urological: Symptoms Dysuria: Painful urination Frequent urge to urinate Weight in the bladder area Abdominal pain Low back pain Blood loss in urine during menstruation Related diseases Cystitis or irritable bladder Recurrent urinary infections, without necessarily the presence of bacteria Kidney failure in extreme cases, for example because the ureters are blocked by adhesions Others. As there is no limit to where endometriosis can appear, consequently the symptoms will be very diverse. For example, endometriosis in the diaphragm causes difficulty and pain when breathing. 3. General Chronic pain, chronic pelvic pain and chronic fatigue, particularly in the most severe cases of chronic inflammation Anxiety Depression Weakened immune system Endo articles Below you can see some articles about endometriosis. To see all articles about endo, click the button below. Endo articles No posts published in this language yet Once posts are published, you’ll see them here. References [1] Eyes, menstruation and endometriosis - Facts, views & vision in ObGyn. (2023, June 30). Retrieved December 11, 2024, from https://fvvo.eu/archive/volume-15/number-2/reviews/eyes-menstruation-and-endometriosis/

Endometriosis When it hurts to be a woman What is endometriosis? Endometriosis, or “endo”, is a chronic inflammatory disease that affects mainly women of reproductive age. Its cause is yet unknown. It happens when tissue similar to the endometrium grows outside the uterus. The endometrium is the layer of the uterus that is shed monthly when a woman is not pregnant. It is therefore an estrogen-dependent disease. This tissue is often called endometriosis implants or endometriosis lesions. They are typically located in the pelvis, including the ovaries, Fallopian tubes and behind the uterus. This tissue behaves like the endometrium: it increases following menstruation and when there is no pregnancy, it bleeds. As there is no way for this blood to be expelled by the body, unlike the release of the endometrium vaginally during menstruation, it forms fibrous scar tissue. It also accumulates in blood cysts, also known as chocolate cysts due to their brown color from blood oxidation. This generates chronic inflammation in the affected areas, which is painful to the point of being disabling and which is associated with a series of symptoms and diseases depending on the areas impacted. 30% to 50% of people with endo will have infertility problems [1] Between 35% and 50% of infertile women are diagnosed with endometriosis [1] 71-87% of women with chronic pelvic pain have endometriosis [2] 50% will develop anxiety and / or depression [3] Most women have minimal or mild endometriosis, i.e. stages 1 and 2 [1] . However, that does not mean that they suffer any less than women in stages 3 and 4. Endometriosis impacts several areas and the overall life quality of a woman. Her career, sexual life, her social relationships, fertility, mood and humour, finances... Endo stages Arrow right Symptoms and related diseases Arrow right Causes Arrow right Myths Arrow right 10% to 31% of women of reproductive age as endometriosis When the math doesn't add up... When I began my research to collect and substantiate the endometriosis figures that I share here, I came across two major problems. The first is that, as incredible as it may seem, there are no consolidated statistics on this disease that affects so many millions of women! The second is that the numbers that exist do not add up and only reveal the extent to which we are dealing with an undervalued and little studied disease: It affects 10% of women of reproductive age , that is, 190 million adolescents and women worldwide, according to the World Health Organization, in an article published on its website in 2023 [4] . If we consider the same criteria as the Portuguese National Statistics Institute, women of childbearing age are considered to be those between 15 and 49 years old [5] . According to Pordata data updated on March 17, 2023, there were 2.223.648 women resident in Portugal in 2023. 10% would be 222.365 women in Portugal . However, curiously on the same day, Agência Lusa reported a survey conducted in 2022 by the Portuguese Society of Gynechology which pointed to "the existence in the country of around 350 thousand women with the pathology, one in 10 of childbearing age, the majority between 30 and 35 years old."[6] . Clearly, the math doesn't add up. If we consider the number of 350 thousand women, then we are not dealing with one in 10 women, but rather 15.74% of women aged 15 to 49 . If we consider that menarche in Portugal is getting closer and closer to happen at age 10, then we can include in the concept of "woman of childbearing age" females between 10 and 49 years of age, 2.247.475 people. 350 thousand would then be 15.57%. Still very different from 10%. Gynechologist Dr. Margarida Martinho, in an article published by Público in 2024, tells us that there are an estimated 228 thousand cases diagnosed in Portugal [7] Finally, if we take into account the article by gynechologist Dr. António Setúbal on the Hospital da Luz website, “it is estimated that the incidence of endometriosis in Portugal is around 700,000 cases”, then we are faced with the virtiginous number 31.48% of women of childbearing age. A third of us have endometriosis and over two thirds, 67.43% are not diagnosed [8] . To give a perspective of the magnitude, whatever number we consider, if you are a woman of childbearing age, it is much more likely that you have endometriosis than diabetes . In 2018, diabetes affected only 1.4% of women aged 20 to 39 [9] . Endo articles Below you can see some articles about endometriosis. To see all articles about endo, click the button below. Endo articles No posts published in this language yet Once posts are published, you’ll see them here. References [1] Unidade de Endometriose . (2023, 14 December). Ginemed Portugal. Accessed on 24 October 2024 . https://ginemed.pt/reproducao-assistida/unidade-de-endometriose/ [2] Ozawa, Y. et al. (2006). Management of the Pain Associated with Endometriosis: An Update of the Painful Problems . Accessed on 24 October 2024 . https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/tjem/210/3/210_3_175/_article/-char/ja/ [3] Cousins, F. L., McKinnon, B. D., Mortlock, S., Fitzgerald, H. C., Zhang, C., Montgomery, G. W., & Gargett, C. E. (2023). New concepts on the etiology of endometriosis. Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Research, 49(4) , 1090–1105. https://doi.org/10.1111/jog.15549 [4] World Health Organization: WHO & World Health Organization: WHO. (2023, March 24). Endometriosis . Accessed on 23 October 2024. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/endometriosis [5] Instituto Nacional de Estatística. (2014, 16 de Junho). Metainformação . Instituto Nacional De Estatística. Accessed on 23 October 2024 . https://www.ine.pt/bddXplorer/htdocs/minfo.jsp?var_cd=0000607&lingua=PT [6] Lusa, A. (2023, 17 March). Desvalorização dos sintomas de endometriose leva a diagnóstico tardio. “Dor menstrual ou associada às relações sexuais não é normal.” CNN Portugal. Accessed on 23 October 2024 . https://cnnportugal.iol.pt/endometriose/mulheres/desvalorizacao-dos-sintomas-de-endometriose-leva-a-diagnostico-tardio-dor-menstrual-ou-associada-as-relacoes-sexuais-nao-e-normal/20230317/64146511d34ed4d514fabf5f [7] Martinho, M. (2024, 26 March). Os segredos da endometriose. PÚBLICO. Accessed on 23 October 2024 . https://www.publico.pt/2024/03/26/impar/opiniao/segredos-endometriose-2084878 [8] Setúbal, A. (2023, February). Endometriose . Hospital Da Luz. Accessed on 23 October 2024 . https://www.hospitaldaluz.pt/pt/dicionario-de-saude/endometriose-sintomas-tratamentos [9] Diabetes: Factos e Números – O Ano de 2016, 2017 e 2018 − Relatório Anual do Observatório Nacional da Diabetes 12/2019 . (2019). Sociedade Portuguesa de Diabetologia. Accessed on 23 October 2024 . https://www.spd.pt/images/uploads/20210304-200808/DF&N-2019_Final.pdf