Women's Health

Pelvic Pain & Vulvar Disease Center

Endometriosis

What are the Symptoms?

Some women with endometriosis have no symptoms. Others suffer with very painful periods, pain during intercourse, constant or intermittent pelvic pain, or infertility. These symptoms may occur alone, or in any combination and in varying degrees of severity. The amount of endometriosis does not necessarily correlate with the severity of pain.

Painful periods, dysmenorrhea, may be a symptom of endometriosis. Increasingly painful periods or severe pain in the days leading up to a period should be viewed as a possible warning sign of endometriosis. However there are many women who suffer from painful periods who do not have endometriosis.

Endometriosis can cause pain during intercourse, a condition called dyspareunia. The thrusting motion can cause pain in a tender nodule of endometriosis. Dyspareunia associated with endometriosis is usually with deeper penetration, not with initial entry during intercourse. It typically may last for several hours to days after intercourse.

Other symptoms of endometriosis are less common. Women with endometriosis can have irregular vaginal bleeding. Endometriosis can grow on the intestines, in the wall of the bladder, or in surgical scars. These implants may bleed into the bladder or bowel during a period, causing blood stained urine or bowel movements at the time of menses.