Endo in Teens?

Great question! I'm not a doctor, but I can tell you from my experience that it's best to see someone who has experience surgically treating people with endometriosis. That's usually an OB/GYN, preferably one who acknowledges from the start that endometriosis can show up in teens — My symptoms started at 13 and 14, peaking at 17. But my high school gynecologist didn't think endo was possible at that age and I didn't get diagnosed until I was 24.


The only way to diagnose endo is through a surgical laporoscopy. That's an invasive procedure and it's usually not the first thing a doctor will do. Ultrasounds, age-appropriate pelvic exams, and MRIs are sometimes used as well. However, those tests can't rule out endo. I'll leave some links below in case they're helpful. Wishing you well! - Keri (endometriosis.net)


https://endometriosis.net/clinical/teens
https://endometriosis.net/living/endometriosis-teens
https://endometriosis.net/living/endometriosis-in-teens

Echoing what Keri said. Definitely take your teen to a gynecologist who is trained in minimally invasive gynecological surgery (MIGS). They will be the best equipped to determine if your teen has endo. As Keri mentioned, they may do an ultrasound, pelvic exam, or MRI, but the only way to diagnose is through laparoscopy. If you need help finding a doctor, you can use the tool at https://nancysnookendo.com/find-a-doctor/ or you can also do a search for a MIGS trained doctor in your area. Best of luck! ~Katrina, Endometriosis.net Advocate

you have great responses already and some great articles to read but I just wanted to chime in with my thoughts as well. I definitely think a GYN or someone specialized in treating people with endometriosis would absolutely be the best first step. I started my symptoms shortly after my menstrual cycle started at 11 but it wasn't until I was 29 where I received the correct diagnosis. That's mainly because my doctors I had seen most of my life- were not skilled in or knew anything about endometriosis. MRI's, blood work, exams - all of that never showed what I was dealing with. It wasn't until I had exploratory surgery to see if I did indeed have endometriosis, is when they found it. You can check out Nancy's Nook on Facebook- it's an endometriosis group and she offers lists of endometriosis specialists. You can check to see if there are any in your area or surrounding area. I see Katrina left the link below! Definitely worth checking out. Sending good thoughts and hugs to both you and your daughter. Please reach out anytime you need. We are here for you <3 -Kimberli (team member)