Epidemiology of endometriosis: an assessment of risk factors

Endometriosis is the third leading cause of gynecologic hospitalization in the United States. This disease impacts both a woman's physical and mental well being. This impact is often compounded by the frequent delay from the onset of symptoms to a confirmed diagnosis, which may average 6 years or more. The precise incidence and prevalence of endometriosis remains elusive for a multitude of reasons, and their measurement remains difficult to accurately assess. None the less, there are many unique and interesting components to the disease which arise when population-based analyses are performed. The goal of this paper is to investigate and summarize the existing epidemiologic parameters, primarily risk factors, associated with endometriosis.