Your Health: Jun. 10, 2002

ENDOMETRIOSIS NEWS More than 10 million American women have endometriosis, a condition that's not only painful but is also linked to infertility. Now researchers think it may be preventable. A fascinating though preliminary study suggests that women who use tampons or who have sex when they are menstruating significantly reduce their risk of getting the disease. How? The latest thinking is that endometriosis develops because menstrual fluid backs up and travels to the ovaries, Fallopian tubes and outer surface of the womb, where it takes root. Having sex--more specifically, having an orgasm--causes the uterus to contract, pushing out the fluid. And...

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