Jakarta, June 14, 2021 –  PT Ingin Anak (PTIA) and Bayer Indonesia, today echo the importance of awareness of endometriosis. ENDometriosis campaign is aimed to Doctors, patients, and public. Endometriosis is a progressive chronic disease suffered by women in the productive age. It requires a long-term treatment and high level of commitment from the patients.

The ENDometriosis campaign purpose is to shape better communication and understanding between Doctors and patients regarding the disease, hence diagnosis can be made shorter, and patients can receive the right treatment. The campaign is executed through a set of events, namely a digital Webinar Series and Workshop for Doctors and layman.

Prof. Dr. dr. Budi Wiweko, SpOG (K), MPH, Founder of SMART IVF and Vice President of Indonesia Medical Education and Research Institute (IMERI) of University of Indonesia explained, ”Endometriosis can cause chronic menstrual pain hence inhibits women productivity and even disrupt the harmony in the family. Studies about Endometriosis in many countries show that patients with Endometriosis tend to seek permit not to attend school or work due to severe pain.”

Data in United States in 2002 reported a loss of USD22 billion per annum caused by pain and high level of relapse of Endometriosis. Endometriosis is also one of the causes that is mostly found in infertility cases among couples who have not yet had children. “Therefore, knowing the symptoms of Endometriosis at the early stage is one of the key success in handling endometriosis case that is complex in nature,” added Prof. Budi.

Doctors need to have training and guidance to help them identify symptoms of Endometriosis along with other menstrual conditions. The earlier the diagnosis, the sooner the patient in accessing treatment. Without the diagnosis, the disease will not only develop, but will impact the quality of health and life of the patients. Aside from physical symptoms and sometimes disrupt patients’ activity, Endometriosis can affect all parts of women’s lives, including relationship, work, and education. Endometriosis also causes high level of morbidity, absence, and social and economic cost, while also affecting quality of life, education, self-esteem, and fertility among women.

Angel-Michael Evangelista, President Director of Bayer Indonesia explained,”Bayer truly support the effort made by PTIA in improving the awareness of endometriosis. Information and communication among Doctors, patients, and patient’s groups is the beginning to accelerate endometriosis diagnosis, with the current rate of 7.5 years in average. Bayer is committed to improving the health and wellbeing of women and their families through research and development of new treatment options for diseases including Endometriosis. We believe that information-packed ENDometriosis Campaign signifies a big leap in handling chronic diseases that require a long-term effort”.

Dr. dr. Andon Hestiantoro, SpOG(K), MPH,  Obstetrician and Gynecologist Specialist, Fertility, Endocrinologist and Reproduction Consultant, and Main Researcher Doctor of ENVISIOeN Research in Indonesia mentioned: “There are at least 5 out of 100 women among productive age in Indonesia, and 1 out of 10 women in Asia, who suffer from Endometriosis. Unfortunately, most Endometriosis patients in Indonesia experience delay in diagnosis by 9 to 10 years. It can be said that they have been suffering from endometriosis for a long time without knowing it sooner.”

Referring to the data of RSCM in 2010 – 2011, there were 43,4% endometriosis patients who experienced severe pain and were unable to carry out their daily activities, 36,7% of the patients experienced medium level of pain and felt limited to carry out their daily activities, and 20% of patients experienced mild pain.

Dr. Andon added, “Endometriosis treatment management to date in principal consists of 2 options, namely conservative treatment and surgery. Every treatment option has different indications, such as the patient’s age, existence or non-existence of mass, and the consideration of the desire of wanting to conceive a child. Endometriosis is said to be a disease that is dependent on estrogen, therefore one of the treatments available is by using a medicine that suppress the hormone. Medicine treatment provided to patients should also consider several aspects, such as the effectiveness, cost, and preference of the patient. In several clinical test studies, progestin is declared as the first line of therapy. Dienogest is known to reduce pelvic pain and menstrual pain related to endometriosis with a daily dose of 2 mg. The same thing is also shown by ENVISIOeN study result by Pan Asia, a study that was done for 24 months. It shows that Dienogest 2 mg works effectively in reducing pelvic pain due to endometriosis while increasing the quality of life of Asian women who suffer from endometriosis. The study was carried out to 887 patients in 36 locations across 6 Asia countries, namely South Korea, Thailand, the Philippine, Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia.”

On the importance of endometriosis community to improve knowledge and awareness among patients and public, Wenny Aurelia, founder of Endometriosis Indonesia community said, “Endometriosis is a disease that takes patience and compliance in treatment. In having the treatment, patients with endometriosis greatly need support from fellow patients and their families, so that they do not feel alone in fighting against Endometriosis.”

“Therefore, we hope that the community can be a platform for discussion, exchange the right information about Endometriosis, sharing of experiences, and to obtain information regarding the diseases and treatment from experienced Doctors in the field, and most importantly, as a place for support among patients,” she added.

-THE END-

Reference

1. Endometriosis Consensus 2017

About Bayer

Bayer is a global enterprise with core competencies in the life science fields of health care and nutrition. Its products and services are designed to help people and planet thrive by supporting efforts to master the major challenges presented by a growing and aging global population. Bayer is committed to drive sustainable development and generate a positive impact with its businesses. At the same time, the Group aims to increase its earning power and create value through innovation and growth. The Bayer brand stands for trust, reliability and quality throughout the world. In fiscal 2020, the Group employed around 100,000 people and had sales of 41.4 billion euros. R&D expenses before special items amounted to 4.9 billion euros. For more information, go to www.bayer.com.

Kontak Media PT Bayer Indonesia:

Laksmi Prasvita, Head of Communications, Public Affairs, Science and Sustainability

Email: contact.indonesia@bayer.com

About Smart IVF

Smart IVF is a network integrated reproductive health centers in collaboration with hospitals in Indonesia. Established in 2015, Smart IVF is committed to improving the community's reproductive health through quality services, continuous education, and continuous research. By prioritizing patient-centred services, Smart IVF is supported by leading reproductive health experts in Indonesia, and is supported by the most up-to-date service technology.

CF PP-VIS-ID-0104-1