Ignatova T.A. Endometriosis as an interdisciplinary challenge: social, economic, and demographic effects. Sociology of Medicine. 2026. Vol. 25. No. 1. Pp. 48-55.

Abstract

Endometriosis is one of the most common chronic disorders affecting women’s reproductive health, yet its significance extends far beyond a purely clinical problem. The relevance of this study lies in the fact that the disease is associated with prolonged diagnostic delay, a marked decline in quality of life, economic losses, and disruptions to reproductive plans, while its social and demographic effects remain insufficiently conceptualized from an interdisciplinary perspective. The scientific novelty of the study lies in examining endometriosis as a socially significant problem. The article presents the results of a search and analytical study based on a review of international and Russian publications, materials from international organizations, clinical guidelines, and studies devoted to patients’ diagnostic pathways, quality of life, economic burden, work-related losses, and the impact of endometriosis on fertility. It is shown that diagnostic delay across countries is measured in years and is caused by a combination of behavioral, professional, and institutional barriers. The social consequences of the disease are systematized, including chronic pain, psycho-emotional burden, reduced work productivity, rising direct and indirect costs, as well as changes in family and reproductive strategies. Attention is paid to the demographic effects of endometriosis through infertility, delayed motherhood, and the growing demand for assisted reproductive technologies. In the Russian context, institutional constraints related to the uneven availability of specialists, diagnostic services, and long-term hormonal therapy are identified.. The article makes it possible to identify the mechanisms through which a medical problem is transformed into a socio-economic and demographic risk and substantiates the need for comprehensive measures in healthcare and social policy.