Impact of endometriosis on reproductive health: an integrative review

Abstract

Endometriosis is a debilitating chronic disease that affects 10% of the general female population, with a frequency of 38% in infertile women. This review aims to provide an overview of the impact of endometriosis on different aspects of reproductive health. A literature search was performed in four international databases, including PubMed, Science Direct, Scopus, and Google scholar, from January 1995 to December 2019 to identify the potentially relevant articles. We included all relevant articles published in English and identified 46 studies on health issues in women with endometriosis. The research suggests that women with endometriosis are at risk for physical, psychosocial, social, and sexual disturbances and obstetrical complications. More research is needed to clarify better understanding of endometriosis complications specifically obstetrical consequences.

Keywords:

• Endometriosis
• reproductive health
• pregnancy
• review article

Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge the Tehran University School of Medical Sciences for the support that enabled completion of this study.

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflict of interest. No funding was received for this study.