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Endometriosis is a condition where tissue similar to the tissue found in the lining of the womb (endometrium) occurs in small patches in sites outside the womb. It can sometimes be found in the muscle of the womb, when it is termed adenomyosis. The most common sites are on the ovaries, fallopian tubes and the ligaments in the pelvis that support the womb. Often it produces no symptoms, but sometimes it can cause problems because each month, when a period occurs, the small patches of endometriosis also bleed. The blood cannot escape from the body and it irritates and inflames the surrounding tissues, causing pain. Chronic irritation of the tissues can lead to scarring and adhesions in the pelvis where tissues stick together. This can sometimes cause problems with a woman’s fertility due to the tubes being obstructed by adhesions or the ovaries being caught up with adhesions, preventing release of the egg. The main symptoms of endometriosis are pain in the abdomen and pelvis, pain when a woman is on her period (dysmenorrhea) and pain experienced deep in the pelvis during intercourse.

Endometriosis can sometimes cause infertility. If you have severe endometriosis, with damage to the fallopian tubes or where your ovaries are trapped in adhesions preventing release of the egg, this obviously reduces your fertility. Doctors are uncertain whether mild endometriosis, where the tubes and ovaries remain normal, actually causes infertility. However, it is certainly more common in women with infertility. Indeed around 30 per cent of those with endometriosis have a fertility problem.