This article either has the all telling of this disease or links to it. It also gives age ranges and races more prevelent in.

http://www.medicinenet.com/endometriosis/article.htm

In my experience with endometriosis, I found that doctors cannot truly diagnose it without "looking inside," or doing surgery. So after years and years of pain, and the possibility of having this, I agreed to surgery. I emerged four hours later with Stage 4 endometriosis; my doctor said it was the worst he had seen in a decade. The best news, though, is I've been GREAT ever since! I was put on shots of Lupron for nine months (one a month); it puts you in fake menopause. Hot flashes at 34 were NOT fun. But since then I've taken a birth control pill every day, and I couldn't love it more. I'm breezing through life and my doc says I'll breeze through menopause. So my advice: Please don't suffer. There's a way out of endometriosis. Listen to your doc, and hopefully you'll get the great advice I did.

Lebe, thanks for that great testimony on what has worked for you! This arms moms with options when discussing this with their doctors if they find themselves in this situation.

I am so glad that you are feeling better

Lebe, I understand completely! I used to suffer month after work with this painful condition. It was not until I got married,(age 35yrs) and could not get pregnant that I was referred to a fertility specialist. I was a total mess inside! My endometriosis was confirmed through laparoscopy and I also was on Lupron shots for three months. After that I had surgery to fully check out my reproductive system. My left tube was removed at this time because it was not any good. My doctor told my husband and I that "IVF" would be our only hope of ever conceiving a child. We tried seven months later but for whatever reason, I did not respond to the drugs! Then, two years after that I had to have an emergency full Hysterectomy. Ten months after that we were given our now adopted daughter. She is such a blessing to our lives We were able to adopt her four months after we got her.

FYI- I have been suffering from this for 6 years when I was dx'd. I had a obgyn do my first "laperotomy". Terrible recovery, 5-6 weeks. That Dr was killed in a plane crash. I started looking on the internet and found a "GOD". Dr. Steven McCarus is a specialist in endo. Boy do I wish I had him for my first surgery. He did my second surgery 2 years later and it was soooo easy! He invented his own technique and is teaching it to other area Dr's. I LOVE THIS MAN!!!!!!!
I refer everyone I meet with endo to him. He's in Celebration Florida Hospital.