Experiences of women regarding their pathways to the diagnosis of endometriosis

Abstract

Objectives

to describe the experiences of women on their trajectories from the beginning of symptoms to the diagnosis of endometriosis.

Method

descriptive, qualitative research, conducted with ten women diagnosed with endometriosis in the city of Rio de Janeiro (RJ), Brazil. Audio recorded semi-structured interviews were collected and later submitted to Content Analysis using Atlas.ti 8 software.

Results

without the diagnosis of endometriosis, women experience strong symptoms from the menarche. This situation has a negative impact on different spheres of life, including the devaluation of their complaints in their circles of coexistence. Thus, the importance of the support network in this situation is understood. Faced with this context, women wander through various professionals until the definitive diagnosis.

Final considerations and implications for practice

the trajectories of these women are marked by the devaluation of their complaints by health professionals and people close to them, by the naturalization of female pain and by the difficulty in establishing a differential diagnosis. However, the individual's ability to recognize the presence of a pathology, the knowledge about endometriosis and the professional's experience facilitated the diagnosis. In the context of nursing care, understanding this trajectory can promote active listening, better appreciation of complaints, clinical assessment and referral to early diagnosis.

Keywords:
Endometriosis; Clinical Diagnosis; Pelvic Pain; Women’s Health; Gynecology