Background: Endometriosis is a chronic, inflammatory, estrogen-dependent gynecological disease in which endometrial-like tissue grows in areas outside the uterus. This condition may significantly influence women’s life course and mental health. Personal, behavioral, social, and environmental factors play a crucial role in predicting these outcomes. The current study aimed to compare the Perceived Life Course Impact (PLCI) and mental health of women with Endometriosis to those without the disease, as well as to explore the factors associated with PLCI and mental health. Methods: This cross-sectional study surveyed 543 Israeli women (270 with Endometriosis, 273 without). Participants completed a validated questionnaire assessing perceptions of life course impact in several life domains (intimacy and relationships, employment, education) and mental health. Multiple regression analyses were used to identify factors associated with PLCI and mental health among participants. Results: Women with Endometriosis reported a significantly greater negative perceived impact on intimacy and relationships, employment, and education, with poorer mental health, as compared to the control group. Women with Endometriosis also experienced higher social negativity and lower social support. Multiple regression analyses indicated social negativity as a strong predictor of negative PLCI. Additionally, menstrual pain, social support, and healthcare accessibility were found to be significant predictors of both PLCI and mental health. Conclusions: Comprehensive care for women with Endometriosis requires a multidisciplinary approach, with interventions focused on improving healthcare accessibility, enhancing social support networks, and mitigating social negativity within interpersonal environments.

Background: Endometriosis is a chronic gynecological disease that affects about 10% of women of reproductive age. Its symptoms vary in severity and manifestation. Diagnosis is often delayed by an average of 10 years, which may significantly affect women’s lives. This study explores how endometriosis morbidity affects women’s relationships, intimacy, and employment over their lifetime. Methods: An online survey was conducted in February 2024 among Jewish Israeli women aged 18 to 50. Out of the 573 women, 270 were diagnosed with endometriosis. The survey collected information on the women’s diagnostic status, pain severity, social support, negative interactions, life-course impact, and distance from the doctor’s clinic. Results: Women with endometriosis experience a negative impact on their life course compared to women without the disease, particularly in relationships and intimacy (39.41 vs. 18.44, p<.001) and employment (19.39 vs. 19.11, p<.001). A multivariate regression model was used to predict the effect of endometriosis on the women’s life course and revealed that a negative impact on relationships and intimacy (R2=.385, n = 505) might be predicted by longer travel distance to the doctor’s clinic, higher reported pain level, less reported social support level, and higher reported negative interactions. Furthermore, a negative effect on employment (R2 = .270, n = 513) was predicted by a longer distance to the clinic, a higher reported pain level, less reported social support level, and higher reported negative interactions. Conclusions: Enencing supportive environments and increasing accessibility to health services is vital to improving the negative impact of endometriosis on women’s lives. Key messages: • Endometriosis treatment requires a multi-faceted approach, including supportive frameworks, reducing negative interactions, and addressing gaps in health service accessibility. • Awareness must be raised among employers regarding endometriosis, creating a supportive environment and making necessary adjustments for employees to openly communicate their needs and struggles.

Endometriosis has been widely examined from a biomedical perspective, but its cultural and ethnic dimensions have received far less attention. The aim of t

Vaccines decrease morbidity and mortality. Nevertheless, their benefits depend on public response. During COVID-19, vaccine hesitancy and refusal were rampant, threatening public health. A thorough understand-ing of opponents' arguments is required to address the diffusion of unreliable information on social media and prevent vaccine hesitancy from developing into vaccine refusal. Accordingly, the article examines vac-cine opponents' justifications on social media. Textual content analysis of reader comments on three health-related Israeli Facebook pages was conducted. Data collection encompassed the Israeli COVID-19 vaccination period from October 2020 to May 2022. The comments were analyzed according to the health beliefs model (HBM). We found that vaccine opponents were characterized by low perceptions of the severity of the disease combined with high perceptions of the damages of the vaccine; low perceived benefits of vac-cine compliance; vaccine hesitancy and fear along with public distrust as barriers to change; and call for ac-tion to resist the vaccine and spread related anti-establishment views on the web. As vaccination hesitancy was found to develop into public distrust in the state systems and escalate into conspiracy beliefs and an-ti-vaccination activism, its early detection may prevent future vaccine resistance.