title: Self-reported prevalence of endometriosis and its symptoms among Puerto Rican women.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the prevalence of endometriosis and its symptoms in a Puerto Rican cohort, and to describe the menstrual, obstetric, and clinical profiles of the women.
  
  
  METHODS
  A self-administered questionnaire was given to 1285 Puerto Rican women. Categorical variables were compared using chi2 analysis or Fisher exact test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 57 self-reported cases of endometriosis (48 surgically confirmed) among 1193 valid questionnaires, for a point prevalence of 4.0%. A diagnosis of endometriosis was significantly associated with dysmenorrhea, dyspareunia, and chronic pelvic pain, but not with menstrual cycle characteristics. Undiagnosed women commonly reported signs and symptoms of endometriosis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The estimated prevalence of endometriosis in Puerto Rico is 4.0%, comparable to what has been reported in other populations. Endometriosis symptoms were common in the population surveyed, indicating the need for increased awareness and development of public health policies leading to early diagnosis and appropriate management.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Ponce School of Medicine, Ponce, Puerto Rico, USA. iflores@psm.edu
authors.forename: Idhaliz
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Flores
authors.forename: Silkha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Abreu
authors.forename: Sonia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Abac
authors.forename: Jessica
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fourquet
authors.forename: Joaquin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Laboy
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ríos-Bedoya
mesh_terms: D004715:Endometriosis / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008597:Menstrual Cycle / Q000502:physiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D011647:Puerto Rico; D017584:Reproductive History