Endometriosis, a condition where tissue resembling that which grows in the uterus develops in other areas of the body, affects more Asian women than their counterparts in the west, negatively impacting their health and livelihoods.
In the lead up to Endometriosis Awareness Month, Bayer, together with clinical experts across the region, also unveiled a new consensus guideline titled “Clinical Diagnosis and Early Medical Management for Endometriosis: Consensus for Asia.”
The first-of-its-kind consensus aims to help health-care professionals navigate clinical diagnosis and early medical therapy for the treatment of endometriosis to deliver the best patient outcomes.
Best practices
The consensus aligns with the latest 2022 guidelines published by the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE), which details the best practices of caring for women with endometriosis. Both works emphasize the importance of non-invasive procedures in early diagnosis and treatment to allow for patient-centered care. For instance, symptom recognition is recommended before utilizing laparoscopy for diagnosis, and medical treatments are recommended for the management of pain post-surgery.
“While the consensus is useful in guiding health-care providers to recommend patient-centric treatment options, there is also a need for us to leverage the right platforms to educate women on endometriosis, empowering them to voice out their pain and seek treatment early by making informed decisions about their condition. These efforts are a testament of our long-standing commitment to support our health-care providers and patients, and ultimately improve women’s health,” added Catherine Donovan, Vice President Head of Medical Affairs Asia-Pacific, Bayer Pharmaceuticals Asia-Pacific.
For her part, Angela Aguilar, Past President of the Philippine Society for Reproductive Medicine and co-author of the “Clinical Diagnosis and Early Medical Management for Endometriosis: Consensus for Asia” said, “This is a huge progress in the management of endometriosis. Through this consensus, early diagnosis and better treatment options will be made available for women to help them achieve an overall improvement in quality of life. On the other hand, health-care providers will be more equipped to deliver patient-centric care and help alleviate the burden brought about by this condition.”
#DontLiveWithPain
On Tuesday, Bayer Philippines Inc. alongside health-care experts and patient advocates in the Philippines held a #DontLiveWithPain campaign roundtable to call attention on endometriosis, to build a community of support for Obstetrics-Gynecologists and patients; as well as encourage women to seek out more information about this debilitating condition that affects 6 to 10 percent of women of reproductive age.
During the roundtable, Ella C. Evangelista-Martelino, a journalist and endometriosis patient care advocate, shared her experience in dealing with the condition and her journey towards finding relief from endometriosis. After struggling for years, Martelino found the right doctor to help manage her condition, proof that with the right support and knowledge, women with endometriosis do not need to live with pain.
She shared, “As someone who has been suffering from endometriosis for years, the Don’t Live With Pain campaign and consensus serves as a sigh of relief that our pain does not go unnoticed and that there is hope for us to live normal lives.”
“Your story is the story of many women who live with the silent pain of endometriosis. At Bayer, our vision is a world where there is Health for all, Hunger for none. That’s why we have a long-standing commitment to continuously innovate and advance solutions for women’s health. We’re supporting Endometriosis Awareness Month to acknowledge and address this condition,” said Angel-Michael Evangelista, Managing Director and Country Division Head for Pharmaceuticals, Bayer Philippines Inc.
Negative burden
Besides imposing a negative burden on Asia’s economy due to the high costs of medical and surgical treatment, endometriosis also causes ripple effects on a women’s personal health and overall livelihood as they battle with the condition. This hinders their ability to find normalcy in their social and work life, and it takes a serious toll on their physical and mental health.
Aside from these impacts, the endometriosis burden in Asia is also driven by a delay in women seeking early diagnosis and treatment due to different misconceptions. For instance, women may dismiss pelvic pain as part and parcel of their menstrual cycle, while others believe that endometriosis will cause infertility.
Due to the information gap associated with this condition, Bayer aims to address these concerns and encourage women to seek the treatment they need early. Against this backdrop, Bayer launched the #DontLiveWithPain campaign to encourage women to seek intervention and treatment early, instead of suffering the debilitating pain in silence with the misconception that it is normal.
The #DontLiveWithPain campaign aims to create awareness, educate and help modern day women understand what endometriosis is, and how they can manage the condition. It sheds light on the debilitating impact endometriosis has on women’s social and personal lives, addresses the misconceptions that women may have about the condition, and highlights the common symptoms that women can look out for to assess if they are at risk of endometriosis.
For treatment, meanwhile, the consensus recommends hormonal treatment for patients with no immediate pregnancy desires and emphasizes that these treatments should be individually tailored by considering women’s presentation and therapeutic need. Medical treatment such as the use of GnRHa and progestin are also recommended for early treatment, and management of pain post-surgery.
Image credits: Freepik.com
