ENDOMETRIOSIS COMPREHENSIVE GLOSSARY

A note from our President:

From its beginnings in 1980, the Endometriosis Association has advocated for women and girls with endo and their families to educate themselves as much as possible about this chronic disease in order to better manage it, partner with healthcare providers, and live as healthy as possible.

This vision led to the development of various tools to help each of us be our best selves despite the disease.  As we published in-depth articles and books on various aspects of the disease, we developed endo-specific definitions of terms appearing in those articles and books.  Here, we’ve gathered all those glossaries together to help you on your journey with endo.

If you find terms that are not in this Glossary that you think should be, please email us.  We’d love to hear from you!  (You can reach us at endo@EndometriosisAssn.org).

About Our Glossary

This glossary brings together definitions from the Endometriosis Association International Newsletter and our books, Overcoming Endometriosis (out of print), The Endometriosis Sourcebook , and Endometriosis: The Complete Reference for Taking charge of Your Health. (Some definitions for immunological terms were compiled with the aid of the National Cancer Institute publication:  Understanding the Immune System, publication No. 92-529).

The glossary may help you understand your surgical and medical reports, what your healthcare provider is telling you, what your medication(s) are and what they do, and most importantly, the glossary is meant to be an endo source of information for your self-education. We know living with endo can be overwhelming and there is a lot to learn. Be patient; absorb what you can, and over time you’ll be amazed at how much you’ve learned. Discuss questions with your health care providers and learn more from our books.  Keep taking charge of your health and moving in a positive direction!

The Endometriosis Association was the first organization in the world devoted to this disease. As an independent self-help organization of families affected by endometriosis, healthcare providers, and others interested in the disease, the Association is recognized as the organization that “put endo on the map” while it has assisted millions worldwide.