Researchers at the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), George Washington University, and the Endometriosis Association conducted a cross sectional survey of 3,680 women with surgically diagnosed endometriosis. The study was published in the journal, Human Reproduction [2002;17(10):2715-2724].

They found an increased incidence of many chronic and autoimmune diseases in women with endometriosis compared to the general population. Allergies occurred in over 60% of the endometriosis patients compared to the 18% in the general population. hypothyroidism was seven times more common, chronic fatigue syndrome was more than 100 times more common, and fibromyalgia was nearly twice as common in endometriosis patients. Endometriosis patients also had an increased incidence of autoimmune diseases like lupus, rheumatoid arthritis and Sjogren’s syndrome.