Impact on daily life

How does endometriosis affect women’s lives?

According to the EndoVie survey published in 2020, women describe a range of effects on their daily lives:

Impact on sex life
Psychological impact
Physical impact
Impact on relationships
Impact on work
Impact on leisure activities
Impact on relationships with friends and family
Impact on education

Emotional and sexual life

The My S Lifestudy, carried out by EndoFrance in 2021, highlights a significant impact on emotional and sexual life.

87% of respondents report experiencing pain during and after sexual intercourse, leading more than one in two women (55%) to dread it. Beyond sexuality, the condition also affects emotional life (romantic and loving relationships) in nearly 85% of cases and affects body image for 80% of respondents.

Working life

According to the 2020 EndoVie survey, 65% of women surveyed report that endometriosis affects many aspects of their professional life.

In particular, the women surveyed report an impact on their general well-being at work, their physical and mental ability to carry out their duties, and their ability to get up in the morning.

Difficulties concentrating, increased stress levels at work and a decline in motivation to go to work were also mentioned. Endometriosis also affects the ability to perform the expected work, working hours, as well as career progression and opportunities for professional development.

Endometriosis and fertility

Endometriosis does not always lead to infertility, but it can reduce the chances of becoming pregnant.

According to INSERM (the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research), around 30 to 40% of women living with endometriosis experience infertility. The chances of conceiving naturally are therefore lower, with an estimated probability of between 2% and 10% per cycle, compared with 25% to 30% for fertile couples.

Infertility is more common in severe forms of the condition, particularly when the affected areas involve the peritoneum (the membrane lining the inside of the abdomen), the ovaries or the fallopian tubes (the tubes connecting the ovaries to the uterus).

Endometriosis is, in fact, often discovered during investigations carried out to address difficulties in conceiving: according to the World Health Organisation, between 25 and 50% of women affected by infertility have endometriosis.

Solutions do exist, notably assisted reproductive technologies (ART), the effectiveness of which depends on the individual situation.