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Show FACTS a FALLACIES i i i ! Here are tacts and fallacies about a disease that affects between four and 1 six million women in the United Stales: ! endometriosis. FALLACY: Painful periods are a normal part of being a woman. FACT: Although most women experience ex-perience some discomfort each month with menstruation, persistent pain and cramping can be indicative of an underlying un-derlying gynecological condition, such as endometriosis. Endometriosis is a disorder in which a portion of the lining lin-ing of the uterus is found on the ovaries, ova-ries, fallopian tubes or in other sites outside the uterus, causing pelvic pain, pain with sex and pain with bowel movements, FALLACY: If I do not have the symptoms of endometriosis, I must not have the disease, FACT: Many women who have the disease have no symptoms. In fact, as endometriosis is one of the most common causes of infertility, some women do not realize they have it until they try to have a child and are unsuc- -cessful. FALLACY: The only way to treat endometriosis is to get pregnant or to have a hysterectomy. FACT: In past years, physicians have treated endometriosis by removing remov-ing the woman's reproductive organs, or recommended having a baby to i 1 suppress the growth of the disease. a However, hormonal treatments, such as Synarei (nafarelin acetate), have been proven to reduce endometrial growths by lowering estrogen levels in the body, and as a result, alleviate the pain associated with endometriosis. Available since February 1 990, Synarei is a nasal spray administered by the patient herself for a period of six-months. six-months. Unlike previous treatments for endometriosis (which produce masculinizing mascu-linizing side effects such as weight gain, decrease in breast size, acne, unwanted hair growth and deepening of the voice), the most common side effects of Synarei are those associated 0 with menopause: hot flashes, vaginal dryness, decreased libido and a small loss of bone density, which is largely recoverable upon completion of the treatment. |
