LeRoux, A., McCall, J., Pudwell, J., Pyper, J. S., & Bougie, O. (2021). Therapeutic journey of adolescents with severe dysmenorrhea. Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Canada, 43(5), 666.
My role on this research team concerns my knowledge of methodology and methods.
ABSTRACT
Objectives
Endometriosis in adolescents is under-recognized and understudied, leading to delayed diagnosis and reduced quality of life. We aimed to appreciate the diagnostic and therapeutic journey of adolescents with endometriosis, including disease presentation, obstacles to diagnosis and management, and the impact of this condition on their life.
Methods
Women under twenty-eight years with severe dysmenorrhea were included. Participants were identified through a retrospective review of gynaecology rosters at a tertiary hospital and invited to complete a questionnaire assembled from the World Endometriosis Research Foundation and the SF36 questionnaire. A mixed study design was utilized. Participants were further invited to complete a semi-structured phone interview. Questionnaire data was analyzed using descriptive statistics. Interviews were coded using the constant comparative analysis method by two analyzers and inter-rater reliability was calculated. Thereafter, both sets of data were compared using a cross-sectional method.
Results
Participants reported initial pelvic pain at a mean age of 13.9 years (SD 1.9). 50% of participants have an endometriosisdiagnosis, at a mean age of 19.2 years (SD 2.6). Mean dysmenorrhea pain score was 8.3 (SD 1.8) on a 10-point severity scale. 90% reported severe pain requiring bed rest and medication. When experiencing pelvic pain, nine participants reported dyspareunia. The highlight of our project will likely be the unique and in-depth interview insights into the journey of adolescents with endometriosis.
Conclusions
Adolescents with endometriosis encounter multiple obstacles. From initial analysis, symptoms start young and are severe, quality of life is reduced, and there is a delay in diagnosis.
