It is characterised by the presence of uterine endometrial tissue outside of the normal location—mainly on the pelvic peritoneum, but also on the ovaries and in the rectovaginal septum, and more rarely in the pericardium, pleura, and even the brain. (Giudice and Kao, 2009).
Endometriosis affects 6–10% of women in reproductive age, 35–50% of whom experience pain, infertility or both. (Oehmke et al., 2009).
In her book “Reflexology for fertility”, Barbara Scott writes “Diagnosis can take anything up to 8 years, making it hard to be certain how many women suffer from the condition. The main cause is thought to be retrograde menstruation, when instead of passing out of the vagina, the endometrial tissue passes through the fallopian tubes into the abdominal cavity.” Scott (2016, P105).