Surgeries (or hysterectomies) are not something new to me, however, because my grandmother and mother also underwent surgeries. Both of them also have endometriosis. For my grandmother, the condition only got worse when she was already in her 60s. My grandmother was able to bear 10 children, so quite obviously, endo did not make her infertile. My mother also had two surgeries because of endometriosis. But then again, my mother already had us (two children) when she had her surgeries. Studies show that 30 - 50% of women with endometriosis suffer from infertility, and sadly, I am one of them. So, does this mean that if a woman has endometriosis, she does not ovulate? Not necessarily. Women with endometriosis still ovulate but inflammation, scarring, and adhesion caused by the condition usually block the fallopian tubes, the uterus, and even the ovaries.
A study made in 1999 shows that endometriosis exists in female relatives like sisters, cousins, aunts, grandmothers, and mothers. A 2002 study even shows that even distant relatives pose a risk for endometriosis.
So, if anyone in your family is diagnosed with endometriosis, it is safer for all the women in the family to visit the Ob-Gyn. It is so much better to see the doctor in the early stages of endo, rather than wait for it or its symptoms to get worse.
References:
"Do Genetics Play a Role in Developing Endometriosis?" Healthline. Retrieved from https://www.healthline.com/health/endometriosis/is-endometriosis-hereditary
"Endometriosis Symptoms: Infertility" Endometriosis Foundation of America. Retrieved from https://www.endofound.org/infertility
"Endometriosis and Infertility". Medical News Today. Retrieved from https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/323508#endometriosis-and-infertility
