Endometriosis is found in fetuses.  So, wait, we could just be born with it?

So, one of the many theories out there about the origins and causes of Endometriosis is that you’re simply born with it.  It may not be widely accepted, but is there proof?  Yes.  In 2012, a study was published in the Journal of Cellular Physiology which studied the remains of 101 female fetuses.  In a separate 2009 study, they previously studied 49 of those fetuses; however, in this study they focused on the remaining 52 fetuses.  Of those 52, four of the fetuses had “glandular structures outside the uterine cavity, clearly resembling the structure of the primitive endometrium and expressing estrogen receptor.”  These were found in the typical locations of Endometriosis: rectovaginal septum, the Douglas pouch, and near the wall of the uterus.  Combining the results of their 2009 study with their 2012 study: of the 101 fetuses examined, nine exhibited these traits.  That’s 9%.  Sound familiar?  One in every 10 women…

Of course, more research is needed, but it does feel good to read of some scientific proof to this theory.