A new study has found that women who faced difficult experiences in childhood may be more likely to develop endometriosis later in life. The large-scale research, published in the journal Human Reproduction, analyzed health data from over a million Swedish women.
The researchers discovered that many forms of childhood adversity — including parental separation, violence, and poverty — were linked to a higher risk of endometriosis, a painful condition that affects about one in ten women of reproductive age.
Dr. Marika Rostvall, lead author of the study and a physician at the Karolinska Institute’s Department of Global Public Health, emphasized the importance of taking a patient’s full life story into account during treatment.
“I believe doctors should listen carefully to patients and take their pain seriously,” she told Inside Precision Medicine. “Treating endometriosis often requires a team approach involving several types of healthcare professionals.”
Endometriosis happens when tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows outside the womb. It can cause severe menstrual pain, long-term pelvic pain, and infertility.
The research team noted that childhood adversity is already known to raise the risk of several diseases, including heart problems, mental illness, and diabetes. They wanted to find out if it could also be linked to endometriosis.
To do this, they analyzed data from 1,316,946 women born in Sweden over a 27-year span. Among these women, 24,311 had been diagnosed with endometriosis by a healthcare provider.
The researchers identified childhood adversity by looking at national health and social service records. These records included information about family challenges such as:
−Parental substance abuse, psychiatric illness, or intellectual disability
−Death of a family member
−Being raised by a teenage parent
−Child welfare interventions
−Parents separating
−Moving frequently
−Living in poverty or receiving public assistance
−Exposure to violence before age 15
−Parents who experienced domestic violence
Every type of adversity examined — except the death of a family member — was linked to a higher chance of being diagnosed with endometriosis later. In general, the increase in risk ranged from 20% to 35%. The strongest link was found with exposure to violence, which more than doubled the risk (Hazard Ratio = 2.38). The weakest link was being born to a teenage parent (HR = 1.20).
Women who experienced any form of adversity in childhood had a 20% higher risk of developing endometriosis. The risk was even higher for those who faced multiple hardships. Women exposed to five or more types of adversity had a 60% increased risk (HR = 1.61).
Even after adjusting for other possible causes, most of the childhood experiences still showed a clear connection to endometriosis.
The researchers believe the body’s stress and immune responses may help explain the findings. Long-term stress and trauma could affect how the immune system works or how pain is felt in the body, which might lead to more noticeable symptoms and a greater chance of receiving a diagnosis.
“Our study supports the idea that treating endometriosis should involve more than just physical care,” the authors wrote. “Mental health support and attention to past trauma may be important for many patients.”
They recommend that doctors consider childhood adversity as a potential risk factor. Women who report chronic pelvic pain or painful periods — and who also have a history of early-life stress — may benefit from a full gynecological exam and a broader, multidisciplinary treatment plan.
Related topics:
