Date of Conferral

2018

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Public Health

Advisor

Amany Refaat

Abstract

Abstract

Because endometriosis is considered to be the primary cause of infertility in women and

the diagnosis is known to be delayed by many years, it is important to understand the

association between endometriosis and infertility. The purpose of this cross-sectional,

secondary data analysis study was to determine whether there was an association between

the age of women when diagnosed with endometriosis and infertility. Using the general

model of total patient delay (i.e., the Andersen model) as a theoretical foundation, data

for this study was collected by assessing patient medical records of women with

endometriosis at multiple OB-GYN clinics in Eastern North Carolina. Multiple logistic

regression was conducted to determine potential association between variables. The

results presented that diagnosis at an older age and presence of uterine fibroids are

significant risk factors for infertility among women with endometriosis. From the results,

it can be concluded that infertility may be preventable in women diagnosed with

endometriosis and uterine fibroids in younger age. This study presents positive social

change by preventing infertility amongst women who suffer from both endometriosis and

uterine fibroids; potentially creating preventative programs aimed at better educating

women on the risks of endometriosis and uterine fibroids (especially when presented

together).

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