How should i reduce my chances of getting endometriosis?

Birth control pills: The cause of endometriosis is unknown, . Birth control pills or nuva ring may help keep it from growing.

Reduce menses flow: A likely cause of endometriosis is retrograde flow or "back-wash" through the tubes during menses. Things that reduce flow, such as using oral contraceptives continuously with menses < every 3 months, or the Mirena (levonorgestrel) iud, may help. Pregnancy and nursing significantly reduce endometriosis, partly due to no menses for 9 to 24 mo and partly due to the hormone changes.

No: This appears to be a genetic disease. Many families have grandmother mother daughter transmission. A lesser known fact about endometriosis is that it is not a recurrent or ongoing disease and people with the disease actually get their disease beginning at puberty. By age 20, they likely have all the disease they will ever have.

Not really: There have not been any studies proving that any particular treatment reduces one's chances of developing endometriosis. However, in my experience, women who start using any hormonal contraceptive - pills, Depo-Provera - early in their reproductive years (i.e. Within a few years of starting their periods) seem to have a lower incidence of endometriosis and less severe endometriosis when they do have it.