What is behind the link between fertility problems and endometriosis?
Not sure. One theory that’s getting a lot of attention suggests it may be related to an underlying immune condition that increases inflammation. Inflammation is caused, in part, by chemicals called cytokines, released when the immune system sweeps in to fix a problem. Endometrial tissue outside the uterus is certainly one of those problems! And, in fact, studies find higher levels of cytokines in the fluid within the peritoneum, which encloses the gastrointestinal and reproductive organs. Other studies suggest that high levels of cytokines can negatively affect not only fertility, but the outcome of pregnancy and the health of embryos. Cytokines can also affect the health of your eggs, with studies finding that women with endometriosis have more problems related to their ability to produce healthy eggs than those without. Unhealthy eggs are much less likely to lead to a pregnancy even if a sperm reaches them. The inflammatory theory also gets support from baboon studies, which found en
