Abstract:
Endometriosis affects about 10% of women of reproductive age worldwide, and its prevalence
continues to rise, creating a growing public health concern. Endometriosis disproportionately
affects women in low-resource countries such as Sri Lanka due to limited awareness, restricted
access to healthcare, and cultural taboos which often lead to diagnosis delays and a reduced
quality of life. This study evaluates the knowledge and perception of young women regarding
reproductive health and endometriosis within the Colombo District, Sri Lanka, and examines
the factors that influence their knowledge. A quantitative cross-sectional survey involving 200
women from diverse socioeconomic, ethnic, and educational backgrounds was conducted. The
survey questionnaire was developed based on the Endometriosis Health Profile-30 (EHP-30) to
examine the reproductive health perceptions and understanding of endometriosis. The quantitative
data collected through the survey were analysed using SPSS. Findings revealed a high
level of unawareness, with only 80 respondents indicating awareness of endometriosis. The
education level showed a statistically significant positive association with awareness level (p
= 0.005). Women with postgraduate or undergraduate qualifications were more likely to be
aware of endometriosis, whereas those with diploma or certificate-level qualifications demonstrated
considerably lower awareness regarding both reproductive health care perception and
endometriosis. Social media was identified as the main source of information, while healthcare
professionals played a minimal role in raising awareness among young women. However, 60%
(9 out of 15) of diagnosed women had initially been misdiagnosed. Logistic regression analysis
indicated that women who had recently used health care services were 4-12 times more
likely to have knowledge about endometriosis (p<0.001) compared to the women who had not
recently accessed such services. The Mann-Whitney U test demonstrated that women diagnosed
with endometriosis experienced significantly greater limitations in physical activity and
emotional support (p<0.001) compared to non-diagnosed women. The research identifies gaps
in the perception of reproductive health and endometriosis awareness among young women in
the Colombo District, highlighting the need for specific awareness and educational programs
on early consultations, proper diagnosis, and adherence to treatment, especially among women
with lower education levels to improve the overall quality of life
