Endometriosis is a chronic inflammatory disease: tissue similar to the lining of the uterus (the endometrium) grows outside the uterus1. It can affect anyone who has periods, from their first period to menopause2. The World Health Organization estimates that it affects around 10% of women of reproductive age3; estimates vary between sources, from about 2 to 15%4.

This page offers pointers to help you understand the condition and talk about it. It does not replace medical advice.

The essentials

  • Period pain that stops you from living normally is not normal5.
  • Symptoms vary a great deal from one person to another, and some people have none6.
  • Diagnosis often comes late, after several years7.
  • Endometriosis is not cancer8.
  • To date, no treatment makes the disease go away, but there are treatments that relieve the symptoms9.

What is endometriosis?

The lesions are most often found in the lower abdomen: on the peritoneum (the membrane that lines the abdomen), the ovaries, the ligaments of the uterus, the vagina, the bowel or the bladder, and more rarely elsewhere10. They respond to the hormones of the menstrual cycle, which explains why the pain often follows the rhythm of periods11. A related condition, adenomyosis, affects the muscle of the uterus12.

The extent of the lesions does not tell you how intense the pain is: a small lesion can be very painful, and extensive lesions may cause little discomfort13.

Possible symptoms

The symptoms most often described are14:

  • painful periods, sometimes with very intense pain;
  • deep pain during or after sex;
  • pain in the lower abdomen at times other than your period;
  • digestive or urinary problems that follow the rhythm of the cycle, such as pain when passing stools or when urinating;
  • fatigue that lasts;
  • difficulty conceiving.

Bloating, nausea or heavy periods are also possible15. None of these signs is specific to endometriosis, and not having them does not rule the disease out: only a medical assessment can sort out what is going on16. Symptoms can begin as early as adolescence17.

Pain that stops you from living your life is not “normal”

Mild to moderate pain during periods is common. Severe pain, however, that keeps you in bed or stops you from working, studying, concentrating or sleeping is not normal and is worth seeing a healthcare professional about5. Guidelines ask healthcare professionals to think of endometriosis when period pain affects daily life18.

Yet this pain is still often dismissed as normal, by those around you as well as by some healthcare professionals, and this weighs on people's morale19. Your pain counts as you describe it: each person experiences and expresses it in their own way20.

Why does diagnosis take time?

The time it takes to get a diagnosis is often counted in years: between 4 and 12 years on average according to the WHO, 7 to 8 years or more according to French sources7. Among the reasons: variable and non-specific symptoms, the dismissal of these symptoms as normal, and imaging that does not show every form of the disease21. See also diagnosis and treatment.

It is not cancer

Endometriosis is a chronic inflammatory disease, not cancer8. According to the European guideline, it is not associated overall with a markedly higher risk of cancer; some cancers, including ovarian cancer, are slightly more common, but the increase in absolute risk remains small22. No particular screening is planned beyond the screening offered to the whole population, unless there are additional risk factors23.

What is known, what is not

The exact cause of endometriosis is not known24. The most frequently cited hypothesis is “retrograde menstruation”, when some menstrual blood flows back through the fallopian tubes into the abdomen; as this happens far more often than the disease, other factors, genetic, immune or environmental, are probably involved25. Having a mother or sister with endometriosis increases the likelihood of endometriosis26. The role of endocrine disruptors is being studied, with no solid evidence to date27.

There is no known way to prevent the disease28, and sources disagree on whether or not it gets worse over time29. Symptoms often ease after menopause, but not always30.

Common misconceptions

  • “Pregnancy makes the disease go away.” No: its effect varies, and the European guideline asks clinicians not to advise pregnancy as a way of treating endometriosis31.
  • “Endometriosis makes you infertile.” This needs nuance: it can make conceiving more difficult, but most people with endometriosis manage to conceive, sometimes without medical help32.
  • “Tampons make endometriosis more likely.” No study has shown this33.
  • “A specific diet treats endometriosis.” The evidence does not allow any diet or supplements to be recommended34.
  • “A normal ultrasound rules out endometriosis.” No: some lesions, especially superficial ones, do not show up on imaging35.

The impact on daily life and wellbeing

Endometriosis can affect physical, sexual, psychological and social life over the long term, including the relationship with a partner36. Pain, fatigue, time off work or school, isolation, anxiety or depressive symptoms: guidelines ask for these to be taken into account37. In a large French research cohort, what participants asked for first was better recognition of the disease and more kindness38.

You can talk about this impact during your appointment, even if nobody asks you about it. Psychological support, patient associations or having someone close to you present, if you wish, are part of the support that may be available39.

Where to find reliable information in French

  • The endometriosis section of Santé.fr, the French public health information service, which also helps you find the care network (filière) in your region40.
  • The information section of the Assurance Maladie (French national health insurance) on ameli.fr41.
  • Inserm's information section and its 2026 article on five common misconceptions42.
  • In French-speaking Switzerland, the pages and brochures of the endometriosis centre at the HUG (Geneva University Hospitals), including a pain-tracking diary, and the pages of the CHUV (Lausanne University Hospital)43.

Our sources are listed in detail in the bibliography.

Sources for this page

Each number leads to a neutral statement and to the documents that support it. We summarise these sources in our own words; the links open the original documents.

  1. 1

    Endometriosis is a chronic inflammatory disease characterised by the presence, outside the uterus, of tissue similar to the lining of the uterus (endometrium).

    Established fact · checked on 18 October 2026

    • Endometriosis (fact sheet) (new tab) — World Health Organization (WHO), Fact sheet dated 15 October 2025. Passage: Key facts and section “Overview”. Accessed on 18 October 2026.
    • ESHRE guideline: endometriosis (new tab) — European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) — Human Reproduction Open, Hum Reprod Open 2022;2022(2):hoac009, published on 26 February 2022 (full text read via Europe PMC, PMC8951218). Still presented as the current version on the ESHRE website as of 18 October 2026.. Passage: Introduction. Accessed on 18 October 2026.
    • Endométriose : définition et facteurs favorisants (new tab) — Assurance Maladie (ameli.fr), France, Page dated 9 April 2026 (in French). Passage: Page introduction. Accessed on 18 October 2026.
    • Qu'est-ce que l'endométriose ? (new tab) — Santé.fr — Service public d'information en santé (French Ministry of Health), Article published on 12 February 2026 (in French). Passage: Introduction and section “Qu'est-ce que l'endométriose ?”. Accessed on 18 October 2026.
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  2. 2

    Endometriosis can affect anyone who has periods, from their first period until menopause; the WHO specifies that it can also affect transgender men and non-binary people who have periods.

    Established fact · checked on 18 October 2026

    Inserm (2026) adds that symptoms can sometimes appear before puberty or persist after menopause.

    Back to the text
  3. 3

    The WHO estimates that endometriosis affects around 10% of women of reproductive age worldwide, or about 190 million people.

    Established fact · checked on 18 October 2026

    Global estimate; the exact frequency is unknown and figures vary between sources (see en-endo-frequence-variable).

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  4. 4

    The exact frequency of endometriosis is not known and estimates vary between sources: 2 to 10% of the general female population according to the European guideline, around 10% according to the Assurance Maladie and Inserm, 10 to 15% of women of reproductive age according to the HUG and the CHUV.

    Uncertain · checked on 18 October 2026

    The ESHRE guideline states that the exact prevalence is unknown. The differences reflect the populations studied and the diagnostic methods; some of the people affected have no symptoms.

    Back to the text
  5. 5

    Mild to moderate period pain can occur, but severe pain that keeps a person in bed or stops them from working, concentrating or sleeping is not normal and should be taken as a warning sign.

    Expert consensus · checked on 18 October 2026

    Wording from Inserm (2026). The WHO stresses that chronic pelvic pain linked to endometriosis is not normal; the HAS (2017) describes as severe any period pain rated 8 out of 10 or more, with frequent absenteeism or resistance to simple painkillers.

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  6. 6

    Symptoms vary widely from one person to another, and some people with the disease have none.

    Established fact · checked on 18 October 2026

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  7. 7

    Diagnosis often comes after several years: the WHO estimates the average delay at between 4 and 12 years; Santé.fr puts it at 7 years on average in France, and the Assurance Maladie and the HAS at 8 years or more.

    Established fact · checked on 18 October 2026

    The sources agree that the delay is long, not on its exact length; none of them explains how it was calculated. No figure specific to Switzerland was found.

    Back to the text
  8. 8

    Institutional sources describe endometriosis as a chronic inflammatory disease, not as a cancer; the European guideline treats cancer risk as a separate question and encourages reassuring the people affected on this point.

    Expert consensus · checked on 18 October 2026

    None of the sources consulted literally uses the sentence “endometriosis is not cancer”: the wording rests on the definition (chronic inflammatory disease) and on the ESHRE section “Endometriosis and cancer”. To be validated by the specialist.

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  9. 9

    To date, no treatment makes endometriosis go away; treatments aim to control the symptoms, particularly pain, and to limit the impact of the disease.

    Established fact · checked on 18 October 2026

    • Endometriosis (fact sheet) (new tab) — World Health Organization (WHO), Fact sheet dated 15 October 2025. Passage: Key facts, fifth point; section “Treatment”. Accessed on 18 October 2026.
    • Qu'est-ce que l'endométriose ? (new tab) — Santé.fr — Service public d'information en santé (French Ministry of Health), Article published on 12 February 2026 (in French). Passage: Section “Les traitements”. Accessed on 18 October 2026.
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  10. 10

    Endometriosis lesions are most often located in the pelvis (peritoneum, ovaries, ligaments of the uterus, fallopian tubes, vagina, rectum and bowel, bladder) and, more rarely, elsewhere in the abdomen or in the chest.

    Established fact · checked on 18 October 2026

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  11. 11

    The lesions respond to the hormones of the menstrual cycle in the same way as the lining of the uterus; pain therefore often follows the rhythm of the cycle and is more marked during periods.

    Established fact · checked on 18 October 2026

    Back to the text
  12. 12

    Adenomyosis is the presence of tissue similar to the endometrium in the muscle of the uterus; it may or may not be associated with endometriosis.

    Established fact · checked on 18 October 2026

    Back to the text
  13. 13

    The intensity of pain is linked neither to the extent nor to the number of lesions: a superficial lesion can cause severe pain, and extensive lesions may cause only mild discomfort.

    Established fact · checked on 18 October 2026

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  14. 14

    The symptoms most often described are painful periods, deep pain during or after sex, chronic pelvic pain, digestive or urinary problems that follow the rhythm of the cycle (in particular pain when passing stools or when urinating), fatigue and difficulty conceiving.

    Established fact · checked on 18 October 2026

    • Endometriosis: diagnosis and management (NICE guideline NG73) (new tab) — National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), Published on 6 September 2017, updated on 11 November 2024, last reviewed on 2 September 2025. Passage: Recommendation 1.3.1. Accessed on 18 October 2026.
    • ESHRE guideline: endometriosis (new tab) — European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) — Human Reproduction Open, Hum Reprod Open 2022;2022(2):hoac009, published on 26 February 2022 (full text read via Europe PMC, PMC8951218). Still presented as the current version on the ESHRE website as of 18 October 2026.. Passage: Section “Can clinical symptoms predict the presence of endometriosis?” (good practice point). Accessed on 18 October 2026.
    • Endometriosis (fact sheet) (new tab) — World Health Organization (WHO), Fact sheet dated 15 October 2025. Passage: Key facts, second and fourth points; section “Impact”. Accessed on 18 October 2026.
    • Endométriose : symptômes, diagnostic et évolution (new tab) — Assurance Maladie (ameli.fr), France, Page dated 9 April 2026 (in French). Passage: Section “Les symptômes de l'endométriose”. Accessed on 18 October 2026.
    Back to the text
  15. 15

    Other manifestations are possible, such as bloating, nausea, heavy periods, pain in the back or in a leg, or blood in the urine or stools.

    Established fact · checked on 18 October 2026

    Back to the text
  16. 16

    These symptoms are not specific: they can be caused by other health problems, and their absence does not rule out endometriosis; a medical assessment is needed to reach a conclusion.

    Established fact · checked on 18 October 2026

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  17. 17

    Symptoms can begin as early as adolescence: painful periods at this age can be an early sign, and guidelines ask for endometriosis to be considered in young people too, for example when there are repeated absences from school linked to the cycle.

    Recommendation · checked on 18 October 2026

    • Endométriose : symptômes, diagnostic et évolution (new tab) — Assurance Maladie (ameli.fr), France, Page dated 9 April 2026 (in French). Passage: Box “Règles douloureuses à l'adolescence”. Accessed on 18 October 2026.
    • Endometriosis: diagnosis and management (NICE guideline NG73) (new tab) — National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), Published on 6 September 2017, updated on 11 November 2024, last reviewed on 2 September 2025. Passage: Recommendation 1.3.1 (including people aged 17 and under). Accessed on 18 October 2026.
    • ESHRE guideline: endometriosis (new tab) — European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) — Human Reproduction Open, Hum Reprod Open 2022;2022(2):hoac009, published on 26 February 2022 (full text read via Europe PMC, PMC8951218). Still presented as the current version on the ESHRE website as of 18 October 2026.. Passage: Section “Which diagnostic procedures should be applied in adolescents with possible endometriosis?” (weak recommendation ⊕○○○). Accessed on 18 October 2026.
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  18. 18

    Guidelines ask healthcare professionals to consider endometriosis in the case of period pain that affects daily activities and quality of life, chronic pelvic pain, deep pain during or after sex, digestive or urinary problems linked to the cycle, or infertility associated with any of these signs.

    Recommendation · checked on 18 October 2026

    • Endometriosis: diagnosis and management (NICE guideline NG73) (new tab) — National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), Published on 6 September 2017, updated on 11 November 2024, last reviewed on 2 September 2025. Passage: Recommendation 1.3.1. Accessed on 18 October 2026.
    • ESHRE guideline: endometriosis (new tab) — European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) — Human Reproduction Open, Hum Reprod Open 2022;2022(2):hoac009, published on 26 February 2022 (full text read via Europe PMC, PMC8951218). Still presented as the current version on the ESHRE website as of 18 October 2026.. Passage: Section “Can clinical symptoms predict the presence of endometriosis?” (good practice point). Accessed on 18 October 2026.
    • Prise en charge de l'endométriose — Messages clés destinés au médecin généraliste (new tab) — Haute Autorité de santé (HAS) and Collège national des gynécologues et obstétriciens français (CNGOF), France, Good practice guideline of December 2017, published online on 17 January 2018 (page updated on 6 December 2018). Imaging section updated in 2025 (see en-endo-has-2025-imagerie). (in French). Passage: p. 3, “Signes cliniques”. Accessed on 18 October 2026.
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  19. 19

    The dismissal of period pain as normal, by the public, by those close to the person and by some healthcare professionals, delays consultations and weighs on the mental health and wellbeing of the people affected.

    Expert consensus · checked on 18 October 2026

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  20. 20

    The British guideline asks healthcare professionals to take into account that each person experiences and expresses their pain in their own way, in particular depending on their culture, their social situation or neurodivergence.

    Recommendation · checked on 18 October 2026

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  21. 21

    Reasons put forward for the delay in diagnosis include variable and non-specific symptoms, the dismissal of pain as normal, a lack of awareness among professionals, and imaging tests that do not detect all forms of the disease, particularly superficial ones.

    Expert consensus · checked on 18 October 2026

    Back to the text
  22. 22

    According to the European guideline, endometriosis is not associated with a significantly higher risk of cancer overall; the risk of certain cancers (ovarian, breast, thyroid) is higher, but the increase in absolute risk compared with the general population remains low.

    Recommendation · checked on 18 October 2026

    Strong recommendation, low level of evidence (⊕⊕○○). The 2017 HAS/CNGOF guidelines specify that a causal link with ovarian cancer has not been demonstrated.

    • ESHRE guideline: endometriosis (new tab) — European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) — Human Reproduction Open, Hum Reprod Open 2022;2022(2):hoac009, published on 26 February 2022 (full text read via Europe PMC, PMC8951218). Still presented as the current version on the ESHRE website as of 18 October 2026.. Passage: Section “Are patients with endometriosis at increased risk of cancer?”. Accessed on 18 October 2026.
    • Endométriose — Une maladie gynécologique fréquente mais encore mal connue (new tab) — Inserm, France, Published on 5 July 2017, modified on 1 July 2024 (the diagnosis section predates the 2025 HAS update) (in French). Passage: Section “Endométriose et cancer ?”. Accessed on 18 October 2026.
    • Prise en charge de l'endométriose — Messages clés destinés au médecin généraliste (new tab) — Haute Autorité de santé (HAS) and Collège national des gynécologues et obstétriciens français (CNGOF), France, Good practice guideline of December 2017, published online on 17 January 2018 (page updated on 6 December 2018). Imaging section updated in 2025 (see en-endo-has-2025-imagerie). (in French). Passage: p. 1, “Endométriose et cancer”. Accessed on 18 October 2026.
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  23. 23

    Guidelines do not provide for cancer screening specific to people with endometriosis, beyond the screening offered to the whole population, unless there are additional risk factors (for example a strong family history).

    Recommendation · checked on 18 October 2026

    • ESHRE guideline: endometriosis (new tab) — European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) — Human Reproduction Open, Hum Reprod Open 2022;2022(2):hoac009, published on 26 February 2022 (full text read via Europe PMC, PMC8951218). Still presented as the current version on the ESHRE website as of 18 October 2026.. Passage: Section “Should women with endometriosis be monitored for detection of malignancy?” (strong recommendation ⊕⊕○○ and good practice point). Accessed on 18 October 2026.
    • Prise en charge de l'endométriose — Messages clés destinés au médecin généraliste (new tab) — Haute Autorité de santé (HAS) and Collège national des gynécologues et obstétriciens français (CNGOF), France, Good practice guideline of December 2017, published online on 17 January 2018 (page updated on 6 December 2018). Imaging section updated in 2025 (see en-endo-has-2025-imagerie). (in French). Passage: p. 1, “Endométriose et cancer”. Accessed on 18 October 2026.
    Back to the text
  24. 24

    The cause of endometriosis is not known: several theories exist, none of which is fully proven or universally accepted.

    Established fact · checked on 18 October 2026

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  25. 25

    The most frequently cited hypothesis is retrograde menstruation (some menstrual blood flows back through the fallopian tubes into the abdomen); as this phenomenon is far more common than the disease, other factors, genetic, immune and environmental, are thought to be involved.

    Expert consensus · checked on 18 October 2026

    Mechanisms not proven; Inserm reports that clinicians estimate the phenomenon occurs in 90% of women, compared with about 10% of women who have the disease.

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  26. 26

    Having a first-degree female relative with endometriosis increases the likelihood of having it; the British guideline asks healthcare professionals to ask about this.

    Recommendation · checked on 18 October 2026

    This family history does not justify screening in the absence of symptoms (HAS 2017); genetic tests are reserved for research (ESHRE 2022).

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  27. 27

    The role of endocrine disruptors and other environmental exposures in endometriosis is being studied but has not been established: the links found to date rest on a low level of evidence.

    Uncertain · checked on 18 October 2026

    The Assurance Maladie lists exposure to endocrine disruptors among “contributing factors”, a more assertive wording than Inserm's (“suspected”, “low level of evidence”).

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  28. 28

    No way of preventing endometriosis is known; the value of hormonal contraception for preventing it is uncertain.

    Established fact · checked on 18 October 2026

    • Endometriosis (fact sheet) (new tab) — World Health Organization (WHO), Fact sheet dated 15 October 2025. Passage: Section “Prevention”. Accessed on 18 October 2026.
    • ESHRE guideline: endometriosis (new tab) — European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) — Human Reproduction Open, Hum Reprod Open 2022;2022(2):hoac009, published on 26 February 2022 (full text read via Europe PMC, PMC8951218). Still presented as the current version on the ESHRE website as of 18 October 2026.. Passage: Section “Is there a role for primary prevention of endometriosis?” (weak recommendations ⊕⊕○○). Accessed on 18 October 2026.
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  29. 29

    Sources disagree on how the disease evolves: the 2017 French guidelines find no evidence that lesions progress, whereas other documents describe a disease that often progresses.

    Uncertain · checked on 18 October 2026

    HAS/CNGOF 2017: “No evidence in favour of progression”. The HUG (2022 brochure), the CHUV and the Assurance Maladie (pregnancy page) describe the disease as “progressive”. ESHRE (2022) states that the natural history of the disease remains a research question.

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  30. 30

    Symptoms tend to ease after menopause, but endometriosis can remain active or symptomatic in some people.

    Established fact · checked on 18 October 2026

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  31. 31

    Pregnancy does not make endometriosis go away and its effect on symptoms varies; the European guideline asks clinicians not to advise pregnancy for the sole purpose of treating the disease.

    Recommendation · checked on 18 October 2026

    Strong recommendation, very low level of evidence (⊕○○○). The HUG brochure (2022), by contrast, states that pregnancy and breastfeeding “can have a favourable effect and ease endometriosis over the long term”.

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  32. 32

    Endometriosis is associated with difficulty conceiving in some of the people affected (about a third according to Inserm), but most manage to conceive, sometimes without medical help; spontaneous pregnancy remains possible even with very painful endometriosis.

    Established fact · checked on 18 October 2026

    The proportions vary and do not refer to the same population: 30 to 40% of people with endometriosis are said to have infertility (Inserm, Assurance Maladie); 25 to 50% of infertile women are said to have endometriosis (WHO, ESHRE).

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  33. 33

    No study has shown that using tampons increases the risk of endometriosis.

    Expert consensus · checked on 18 October 2026

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  34. 34

    Current data do not allow a specific diet or vitamin supplements to be recommended for endometriosis; some people say they feel better after changing their diet, without the effect being proven.

    Recommendation · checked on 18 October 2026

    The Assurance Maladie adds that a Mediterranean-type diet “may also improve pain”, while judging the data insufficient to recommend a diet.

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  35. 35

    A normal ultrasound or MRI does not rule out endometriosis, particularly its superficial forms affecting the peritoneum.

    Recommendation · checked on 18 October 2026

    • ESHRE guideline: endometriosis (new tab) — European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) — Human Reproduction Open, Hum Reprod Open 2022;2022(2):hoac009, published on 26 February 2022 (full text read via Europe PMC, PMC8951218). Still presented as the current version on the ESHRE website as of 18 October 2026.. Passage: Section “Are medical technologies reliable in diagnosing endometriosis…?” (strong recommendation ⊕⊕○○). Accessed on 18 October 2026.
    • Endometriosis: diagnosis and management (NICE guideline NG73) (new tab) — National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), Published on 6 September 2017, updated on 11 November 2024, last reviewed on 2 September 2025. Passage: Recommendation 1.5.4. Accessed on 18 October 2026.
    • Actualisation de la place des différents examens d'imagerie pour le diagnostic d'endométriose — Recommandations (new tab) — Société d'imagerie de la femme (SIFEM) and Société française de radiologie (SFR), with the CNGOF — guideline awarded the HAS label (France), May 2025; HAS label approved on 15 May 2025, published online on 4 June 2025. Concerns women over 18. (in French). Passage: p. 8, recommendation 1 (grade B). Accessed on 18 October 2026.
    • L'endométriose — Des réponses à vos questions (new tab) — Geneva University Hospitals (HUG), July 2022, reprinted June 2026 (text predates the 2025 HAS update; some statements differ from the 2022 ESHRE guideline) (in French). Passage: p. 8, “Les étapes du diagnostic”. Accessed on 18 October 2026.
    Back to the text
  36. 36

    Endometriosis can be a long-term condition, with a significant physical, sexual, psychological and social impact, including on the relationship with a partner.

    Established fact · checked on 18 October 2026

    Back to the text
  37. 37

    Pain, fatigue, anxiety, depressive symptoms, social isolation and absences from work or school can greatly reduce quality of life; the British guideline asks for each person's needs to be assessed, including for work and studies.

    Established fact · checked on 18 October 2026

    Back to the text
  38. 38

    When surveyed in the French research cohort ComPaRe-Endométriose, participants' priority requests were better knowledge and recognition of the disease among healthcare professionals, more kindness in medical care and better treatments.

    Established fact · checked on 18 October 2026

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  39. 39

    Psychological support, referral to patient associations or groups and, if the person wishes, involving someone close to them in discussions are part of the support described by guidelines and public sources.

    Recommendation · checked on 18 October 2026

    • Endometriosis: diagnosis and management (NICE guideline NG73) (new tab) — National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), Published on 6 September 2017, updated on 11 November 2024, last reviewed on 2 September 2025. Passage: Recommendations 1.2.3 and 1.2.4. Accessed on 18 October 2026.
    • ESHRE guideline: endometriosis (new tab) — European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) — Human Reproduction Open, Hum Reprod Open 2022;2022(2):hoac009, published on 26 February 2022 (full text read via Europe PMC, PMC8951218). Still presented as the current version on the ESHRE website as of 18 October 2026.. Passage: Section “Is long-term monitoring of women with endometriosis beneficial…?” (weak recommendation ⊕○○○). Accessed on 18 October 2026.
    • Endometriosis (fact sheet) (new tab) — World Health Organization (WHO), Fact sheet dated 15 October 2025. Passage: Section “Treatment”, penultimate paragraph. Accessed on 18 October 2026.
    • Endométriose : suivi médical et vie quotidienne (new tab) — Assurance Maladie (ameli.fr), France, Page dated 9 April 2026 (in French). Passage: Section “La vie quotidienne avec une endométriose”. Accessed on 18 October 2026.
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  40. 40

    Santé.fr, the public health information service attached to the French Ministry of Health, offers a section dedicated to endometriosis and a page for finding the endometriosis care network (filière) in one's region.

    Established fact · checked on 18 October 2026

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  41. 41

    The Assurance Maladie publishes an information section on endometriosis on ameli.fr (definition, symptoms and diagnosis, treatment, follow-up and daily life, wanting to become pregnant), updated in 2025 and 2026.

    Established fact · checked on 18 October 2026

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  42. 42

    Inserm publishes an information section on endometriosis and, in its “Canal Détox” series, a September 2026 article on five misconceptions about the disease.

    Established fact · checked on 18 October 2026

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  43. 43

    In French-speaking Switzerland, the HUG (Geneva) have a multidisciplinary endometriosis centre and distribute brochures, including a diary for tracking pain, symptoms and treatments; the CHUV (Lausanne) describes its endometriosis care online.

    Established fact · checked on 18 October 2026

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