Endo What?

In recent years, documentaries about obscure or misunderstood diseases, such as chronic fatigue syndrome, have proliferated at a rapid clip. Endometriosis, which affects as many as 176 million women and girls, is hardly obscure, but Shannon Cohn’s informative documentary details the ways that misdiagnosis and mistreatment have come to characterize a fairly common condition. At its most basic, the disease stems from irregular growth of the uterine lining, leading to debilitating pain and--in extreme cases--infertility (it can also develop in the heart and lungs). Although endometriosis primarily affects women, men who take high doses of estrogen are also at risk. Medical experts here note that it’s a systemic disease with a genetic component, with mothers often passing it on to their daughters. On average, it takes 8-10 years for sufferers to receive a diagnosis after onset, which can occur any time between adolescence and adulthood. Psychological factors also come into play, since pain can cause depression, which can in turn exacerbate pain. It doesn’t help when doctors tell patients that the pain is normal or that it’s all in their heads. For some, pain subsides after pregnancy or hysterectomy, but for others these have no effect. Since estrogen is the culprit, treatments include hormone suppressants and surgery, but side effects and complications can be too much for some women to handle. Cohn’s well-organized documentary also covers diet, exercise, and other regimens that have proven effective, but there is no universal treatment (let alone a cure), and most of the film’s subjects had to experiment before they found what worked best for them. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (K. Fennessy)