https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=olOQdwTw5OI

In this very informative video from Jean Hailes for Women’s Health, a gynecologist explains that endometriosis is a chronic ongoing condition where uterine tissue grows outside of the uterus, attaching itself to the fallopian tubes, ovaries, bladder, and other organs.

MORE: Understanding endometriosis and the birth control pill

Dr. Elizabeth Farrell shares how common endometriosis is and that it affects around 10 percent of women. Girls as young as 12 years old present symptoms along with women who have been through menopause but are taking hormone replacement therapy (HRT).

Endometriosis lesions can be on the surface of other organs or they can burrow into nearby tissue forming cysts. They can also cause scarring and adhesions, making organs stick together and creating intense pain, particularly during ovulation and menstruation.

MORE: For some women, endometriosis period pains can be as painful as a heart attack

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