Adenomyosis, a gynecological condition causing severe menstrual pain and heavy bleeding, affects 20% to 35% of women of childbearing age. Despite its prevalence, it remains invisible due to the normalization of female pain. Experts urge validating symptoms for timely diagnosis.
Adenomyosis occurs when endometrial tissue grows into the uterine muscle wall, causing inflammation, internal bleeding, and pain, explains Dr. Hugo Sovino, gynecologist specializing in reproductive medicine and director of the endometriosis center at Clínica MEDS. This enlarges the uterus, making it harder and more sensitive. It mainly affects women aged 35 to 50, with symptoms like heavy and painful periods, chronic pelvic pain, and pain during sex.
It is often confused with endometriosis, as both cause infertility and similar symptoms, but adenomyosis is confined to the uterus while endometriosis involves tissue outside it. “Se confunden porque ambas pueden causar dolor menstrual intenso [...] Es mucho más frecuente de lo que se pensaba y sigue estando subdiagnosticada”, states Sovino. Up to 35% of women of childbearing age suffer it, but diagnosis is delayed due to pain normalization.
“El problema no es que sea una enfermedad rara; el problema es que se normaliza demasiado el dolor femenino”, says Sovino. Carolina Quezada, founder of the Asociación de Personas con Endometriosis y Adenomiosis Chile, adds: “todavía existe un nivel de desconocimiento por parte de profesionales de salud, que [...] llevan a que se siga normalizando el dolor asociado a la menstruación”.
Treatments include hormonal therapy, intrauterine devices, nutritional support, and, for severe cases without pregnancy plans, hysterectomy. Quezada warns of high costs, long public waiting lists, and lack of post-surgery emotional support. “Si una mujer siente que algo está pasando, es porque algo está pasando”, she emphasizes.