A life shaped by pain: women and endometriosis
- PMID: 16164530
- DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2702.2005.01231.x
A life shaped by pain: women and endometriosis
Abstract
Aims and objectives: The research aim was to explore women's perceptions of living with endometriosis, its effects on their lives and the strategies used to manage their disease.
Background: Symptomatic endometriosis significantly affects women's quality of life. Characteristically the condition causes severe pain and has a negative impact on the ability to work, on family relationships and self-esteem. There has been little discussion about women's experience of endometriosis in nursing literature.
Design: A qualitative research design informed by feminist research principles was chosen for this project.
Methods: Eighteen women agreed to take part in the research. The individual, audio taped interviews were semi-structured and interactive. The interviews were analysed using a thematic analysis approach.
Results: The dominant feature of data from the interviews was the experience of severe and chronic pain impacting on all aspects of life. Analysis related to pain resulted in four themes: manifestations of pain, the pain trajectory, intractable pain and controlling pain.
Conclusion: The diagnostic process typically took 5-10 years indicating that primary health care practitioners need higher levels of 'suspicion' for this condition. Case studies and problem-based scenarios focusing on endometriosis in health professional education programmes would enhance diagnostic skills and knowledge development. No formal pain management follow up after diagnosis and treatment meant women actively sought information from other sources as they made major lifestyle changes in the areas of activity and nutrition. Pain management services specifically for women with endometriosis would provide much needed support with this neglected aspect of the disease.
Relevance to clinical practice: This is a fertile area for the development of the Nurse Practitioner role which, also drawing on the considerable collective expertise of women with endometriosis, could provide significant information and support for women as they manage this highly complex condition.
Similar articles
-
Women's experiences of cardiac pain: a review of the literature.Can J Cardiovasc Nurs. 2008;18(3):18-25. Can J Cardiovasc Nurs. 2008. PMID: 18727283 Review.
-
Lived experience of Korean women suffering from rheumatoid arthritis: a phenomenological approach.Int J Nurs Stud. 2004 Mar;41(3):239-46. doi: 10.1016/S0020-7489(03)00132-9. Int J Nurs Stud. 2004. PMID: 14967180
-
The meaning of women's experience of living with long-term urinary incontinence is powerlessness.J Clin Nurs. 2007 Oct;16(10):1946-54. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2702.2007.01787.x. J Clin Nurs. 2007. PMID: 17880483
-
The experience of fatigue for adults living with HIV.J Clin Nurs. 2006 Sep;15(9):1123-31. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2702.2006.01343.x. J Clin Nurs. 2006. PMID: 16911053
-
Living with heart failure: an integrative review.Int J Nurs Stud. 2009 Oct;46(10):1374-85. doi: 10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2009.03.009. Epub 2009 Apr 22. Int J Nurs Stud. 2009. PMID: 19389671 Review.
Cited by
-
Differences in characteristics and use of complementary and alternative methods for coping with endometriosis-associated acyclic pelvic pain across adolescence and adulthood.Front Reprod Health. 2024 Jan 8;5:1306380. doi: 10.3389/frph.2023.1306380. eCollection 2023. Front Reprod Health. 2024. PMID: 38260050 Free PMC article.
-
A thematic synthesis of qualitative studies and surveys of the psychological experience of painful endometriosis.BMC Womens Health. 2024 Jan 18;24(1):50. doi: 10.1186/s12905-023-02874-3. BMC Womens Health. 2024. PMID: 38238741 Free PMC article.
-
Predictors of illness acceptance in women with endometriosis.Health Psychol Rep. 2020 Aug 6;9(3):240-251. doi: 10.5114/hpr.2020.97914. eCollection 2021. Health Psychol Rep. 2020. PMID: 38084229 Free PMC article.
-
Patient experiences of being advised by a healthcare professional to get pregnant to manage or treat endometriosis: a cross-sectional study.BMC Womens Health. 2023 Nov 30;23(1):638. doi: 10.1186/s12905-023-02794-2. BMC Womens Health. 2023. PMID: 38037049 Free PMC article.
-
Endometriosis and Depression: A Double Agony for Women.Ann Neurosci. 2023 Jul;30(3):205-209. doi: 10.1177/09727531231152022. Epub 2023 May 23. Ann Neurosci. 2023. PMID: 37779548 Free PMC article. Review.
MeSH terms
LinkOut - more resources
Full Text Sources
Medical