Dysmenorrhea or severe pain during menstrual bleeding is a common occurrence among women. Accordingly, it’s not unusual for them to go unchecked despite these bouts of strain, unknowingly missing a more serious underlying condition. Until issues with fertility come up, they may go unexamined and undiagnosed for a very long time.

Endometriosis is a condition where tissue inside of the uterus (endometrium) grows around areas it shouldn’t. When endometrium spreads outside of the uterus, it still acts as it would inside of one– bleeding when prompted by hormones and blocking the entry of sperm when it extends around the fallopian tube, which is among the ways that endometriosis influences fertility (Harvard Health Publishing, 2021). It is around this time that women have themselves checked, and why endometriosis takes an average of 6.7 years to detect (Parasar, Ozcan and Terry, 2017).

To bridge the gap in information, MedEthix, Inc. in partnership with the Rizal Medical Center, conducted an Endometriosis Masterclass.

It was led by Philippine Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology (PSOG) regional director, Dra. Nelinda Catherine Pangilinan, who is also faculty head and current chair of the Ultrasound Committee of Asia-Oceania Federation of Obstetrics & Gynecology.

The masterclass was a course on the diagnosis and management of endometriosis. With a partner firm’s ultrasound machines and the presence of PSOG members in the event, Dra. Pangilinan demonstrated techniques particular to the diagnosis of endometriosis. Some known methods of cure and regulation are surgically removing endometrium and taking drugs that serve as hormone-regulating substances.

MedEthix is set to conduct more endometriosis masterclasses with doctors and practitioners around the Philippines to stage continuing medical education and reduce the disparity between disease and knowledge.