The following is a summary of “Endometriosis risk is associated with shorter anogenital distance by meta-analysis,” published in the December 2024 issue of Obstetrics and Gynecology by Crespi.
Researchers conducted a retrospective study to assess an anogenital distance, a marker of prenatal testosterone exposure, altered in women with endometriosis compared to controls.
They analyzed the association between endometriosis and anogenital distance by querying 3 databases. A random-effects meta-analysis was applied to the data from studies that met the inclusion criteria.
The results showed the shorter anogenital distance AF (from the anus to the posterior fourchette) was associated with a higher risk of endometriosis. In contrast, no significant association was found for anogenital distance AC (from the anus to the clitoral surface). Both analyses showed significant heterogeneity across studies. Insufficient studies were available to assess publication bias robustly.
Investigators concluded that the observed association between short anogenital distance and endometriosis risk supports the hypothesis that lower prenatal testosterone levels may contribute to the development of endometriosis.
Source: sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2949838424000252
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