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Glossary - P
Presacral neurectomy: A procedure where the nerves behind the womb are cut – the aim fo this to stop or reduce pain.
Progesterone: A female hormone which prepares the womb lining (endometrium) to receive and hold the fertilized egg to allow pregnancy.
Progestogens/Progestins: These are synthetic (artificially created) hormones that produce similar effects to progesterone. They are used most commonly in contraceptives but also as a treatment for endometriosis as they have an ‘anti-oestrogenic’ effect on the body which can shrink endometrial tissue; they can have severe side effects.
Prostaglandin: A substance that has a large number of functions in the body. It allows for the contraction and relaxation of muscle, the control of cell growth, the dilation (increasing) and constriction of blood vessels, control of blood pressure, and creation of inflammation. Prostaglandins cause the womb to contract and cause cramping. They can affect the spinal nerve and cause pain. In endometriosis, the endometriosis deposits are said to secrete (expel) prostaglandins which cause pain & inflammation.
Puberty: The time of life when the body begins making adult levels of sex hormones (oestrogen or testosterone) and starts developing adult body characteristics: developing breasts, growing facial and pubic hair, starting periods etc.
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