Dr. Drew Moffitt, MD, of Arizona Reproductive Medicine Specialists, member of the Attain Fertility Network, explains endometriosis.

More than five million women in America are currently suffering from a non cancerous disorder called endometriosis, which is a leading cause of infertility. Endometriosis occurs when the endometrial tissue that lines the inside of the uterus finds its way outside and into other organs of the body, such as the abdomen and fallopian tubes. When this happens, the misplaced tissue develops into lesions which respond to the woman's menstrual cycle. Each month, the tissue builds up and then sheds. Inside the uterus this natural shedding becomes part of the menstrual flow. Outside of the uterus the tissue has nowhere to go and backs up, causing internal bleeding, varying levels of pain and cramping, inflammation, adhesions and eventually for many, infertility.

This video is made possible by a grant from Attain Fertility® Centers, an IntegraMed Specialty and provider of the Attain® IVF Programs.