Abstract:
Endometriosis is a gynecological disorder characterized by the growth of endometrial
tissue outside the uterine cavity. Although the prevalence of endometriosis is well
documented in women living in developed countries, studies on the prevalence of this
disease among African women are still wanting. The current view is that endometriosis
rarely affects women of African descent. However, in African–American women in the USA,
endometriosis is one of the common indications for major gynecological surgery and
hysterectomy and is associated with a long hospitalization and high hospital charges.
Endometriosis may be more commonly found in infertile Caucasian or African–American
women than in African–Indigenous women, but it is likely that the true prevalence of
endometriosis in African–Indigenous women is under reported owing to inadequate
facilities and demands of specialized skills for adequate assessment of the pelvis and
recognition of the various types and appearances of the disease. Understanding the
prevalence of endometriosis among African women will be instrumental in proper
management of this disease in the African continent.
