There are pieces of content that don’t feel like “information,” but rather like a window into something many women live with—even when it isn’t visible from the outside. The short film “This Is Endometriosis: Finding Strength” highlights a concrete reality: endometriosis is not just “bad period pain,” and in many stories it’s also linked to lost time, delayed diagnoses, and difficulty getting pregnant.
Using this short film as a starting point works for one reason: when a topic is understood through a human lens, it becomes easier to spot what matters and act on facts—not assumptions. In this article, we’ll break down the essentials: what endometriosis is, which symptoms are often overlooked, how it’s evaluated with a fertility focus, and how the path is supported when the goal is having your baby.
What the Short Makes Clear From the Start: This Isn’t “A Minor Issue”—It’s a Condition That Can Change Your Life
Without spoilers, the documentary shows how endometriosis can affect everyday areas (pain, energy, work, social life) and, in some cases, reproductive goals. That point matters because many women come to consultation after years of hearing phrases like “it’s normal,” “that’s just how your body is,” or “take something for it.” In real life, what this can look like is:
- Period pain can be intense and limiting.
- Symptoms can show up outside your period.
- There may be bowel or urinary symptoms that follow your cycle.
- And even without dramatic symptoms, endometriosis can exist and show up as infertility.
Seeing it portrayed helps identify patterns. The medical value is that those patterns can be evaluated in an organized way.
What Endometriosis Is (Clear Explanation)
Endometriosis happens when tissue similar to the endometrium (the tissue that lines the inside of the uterus) grows outside the uterus. That tissue responds to cycle hormones: it can become inflamed, irritate nearby tissues, and over time contribute to adhesions or cysts in some cases.
Endometriosis doesn’t look the same for everyone. Not everyone has the same type of pain, the same level of symptoms, or the same impact on fertility. So more than “do I have it or not,” the key question is: how much is it affecting your situation?
“Silent” Signs That Get Confused With “Normal” and Are Worth Checking
This isn’t about self-diagnosing. It’s about recognizing common signs that justify a targeted evaluation—especially if you’re trying to have a baby:
Period Pain That Limits You
It’s not “it’s uncomfortable.” It’s pain that forces you to stop: missing work, staying in bed, relying on painkillers just to function, or feeling like each cycle is a “lost” week.
Pelvic Pain Outside Your Period
Low abdominal discomfort that shows up on “regular” days, gets worse before your period or during ovulation, or feels like recurring pressure/stabbing sensations.
Pain During Sex
When it’s persistent or happens often, it’s a clinically relevant sign. Many women don’t mention it out of embarrassment; however, for diagnosis, it’s an important detail.
Cyclical Digestive or Urinary Symptoms
Significant bloating (swelling), pain with bowel movements near your period, diarrhea/constipation that worsens during certain parts of the cycle, or urinary discomfort on very specific days.
Fatigue That Repeats and Gets Worse During Certain Parts of the Cycle
This isn’t “normal stress.” It may be fatigue associated with chronic pain, inflammation, or the wear and tear of recurring symptoms.
You’re Trying to Have a Baby and It’s Not Happening
In some cases, this is the main sign. Some women with minimal symptoms discover endometriosis while trying to get pregnant.
How Endometriosis Can Affect Getting Pregnant
When a woman hears “endometriosis,” she sometimes automatically translates it to “I won’t be able to.” That’s not correct. The right way to think about it is that it can change the strategy, because it can affect fertility through multiple pathways:
- Pelvic inflammation: the reproductive environment may not be in ideal conditions for certain steps.
- Adhesions: they can alter the normal relationship between the tubes and ovaries and make the egg’s path harder.
- Endometriomas (ovarian cysts): depending on the case, they may be linked to changes in ovarian tissue and affect the picture of reserve or response.
- Tubal factor: if the tubes are involved, the natural path can become more complicated.
- Impact on sex life: if there’s pain, attempts may happen less often or become emotionally heavy.
The goal isn’t just to “explain the problem.” The goal is to understand which factors are present in your case so you can build an efficient path toward your baby.
How Endometriosis Is Evaluated When the Goal Is Having a Baby
This is where many women finally feel the process becomes organized. A fertility-focused evaluation doesn’t stop at the diagnosis name—it aims to answer specific questions.
1) A Well-Directed Medical History
Your pain pattern, when it shows up, what makes it worse, cyclical bowel/urinary symptoms, pain during sex, background (surgeries, infections, pregnancies, losses), how long you’ve been trying, and prior treatments. This isn’t “just a form”—it guides what to look for and which tests make sense.
2) Transvaginal Ultrasound With a Fertility Focus
This helps evaluate the uterus and ovaries, identify relevant findings, and in some cases detect endometriomas or other useful clues.
3) A Full Review of the Reproductive Picture
When the goal is a baby, it’s not just about endometriosis. Ovulation is reviewed, ovarian reserve when appropriate, the uterine cavity if there are signs, the tubes if needed, and male factor from the start. This helps avoid delays and “gaps” in the workup.
4) Interpreting Results to Make Decisions (Not to Collect Tests)
The difference between having results and having clarity is that each finding translates into a plan: what to prioritize, what to adjust, and which route offers better chances based on your history and timeline.
How the Path Is Supported When Endometriosis Is Suspected or Diagnosed
Without listing specific “treatments” or procedures (because it depends on each case), a comprehensive, fertility-centered approach usually supports four areas:
Clarity and Structure From the Start
Avoiding endless trying without direction. Defining what to review first and why.
A Strategy Aligned With Your Timeline
If you’ve been trying for a long time—or there are signs timing matters (age, reserve, history)—the plan prioritizes efficiency.
A Personalized Path, Not a Generic One
Two women with endometriosis may need different paths. What drives the plan is your history, your testing, and your goal.
Comprehensive Support During the Process
Because the fatigue of “not knowing” is real. A clear plan reduces uncertainty, avoids unnecessary loops, and helps you move forward with concrete milestones.
What You Can Do Today If This Resonated (Practical Steps)
If you recognized yourself in several points from the short film or from this article, these concrete actions can help:
- Track your symptom pattern for 2–3 cycles
Dates, intensity, what worsens it, bowel/urinary symptoms, pain during sex, and cycle days. This information can dramatically improve a consultation. - Don’t reduce everything to “period pain”
The cyclical pattern, intensity, and impact on your life are clinical data. - If you’re trying for a baby, avoid “just waiting”
Once time has passed without success, a comprehensive evaluation is often more helpful than extending months of uncertainty. - Bring any prior testing you have
Ultrasounds, lab work, tubal studies, semen analysis. Even if they’re from a different time, they provide useful context.
Before we close, here’s a resource worth watching: the short film “This Is Endometriosis: Finding Strength.” It’s a clear, human way to understand what living with endometriosis can look like day to day—and why its signs shouldn’t be normalized. If you recognized any of the symptoms or fertility aspects while reading, this video can help add context to what you’re feeling—and help you take the next step with more clarity.
Conclusion
The value of a short film like “This Is Endometriosis: Finding Strength” is that it makes visible what is often minimized: endometriosis can be a complex condition, with symptoms that get normalized and a real impact on fertility.
In a fertility-focused care setting like Ingenes, the goal isn’t to give you slogans, but clarity: identifying whether endometriosis is present, understanding how much it’s influencing your situation, and building a realistic, efficient plan to move you closer to your baby.
If you’re trying to have a baby and haven’t been able to—or if your symptoms have been repeating in a cyclical pattern—the most useful next step is to schedule an appointment and review your history with a comprehensive approach. Your goal isn’t to “tough it out better.” It’s to move forward with direction.