The use of tanning booths increases the risk of endometriosis, a chronic and debilitating gynecological disease. One more reason not to set foot there, after the increased risk of skin cancer.


In addition to increasing the risk of melanoma, the most dangerous skin cancer, tanning booth use also increases the risk of endometriosis, according to a new scientific study.

Published on December 2 in the journal Human Reproduction, it was conducted among 116,429 American nurses aged 25 to 42 at the start of the study in 1989.

 Every two years until June 2015, participants filled out questionnaires detailing their medical history and their exposure to risk factors for several diseases. The study looked at the use of UV cabins, but also at sun exposure, the number of moles on the skin, and the number of sunburns contracted between the ages of 15 and 20. Among the 95,080 women included in the final analyzes, the researchers identified 4,791 cases of endometriosis diagnosed by laparoscopy during the follow-up period.

 By cross-checking the data obtained and taking into account any bias, the scientists found that, compared to women who had never used a tanning booth, women who had used them six or more times per year during their teenage years or early of adulthood had a 19% increased risk of endometriosis. If they had used them at this frequency between 25 and 35 years, their risk was 24%.

Having five or more sunburns between the ages of 15 and 20 was also associated with an increased risk of endometriosis, 12% more than in women who had never been sunburned. The use of sunscreen was also associated with an increased risk of endometriosis, not because of the products themselves but because it implies increased exposure to the sun, during beach activities or otherwise.

 “We know very little about how to modify his behavior to reduce the risk of developing endometriosis. We don't yet understand much about the relationship between recreational sun exposure and the risk of endometriosis. However, our results suggest that avoiding excessive recreational sun exposure and the use of tanning beds may reduce your risk of endometriosis, ”commented Professor Stacey Missmer, co-author of the study.

Endometriosis is a chronic gynecological disease that affects at least one in ten women of childbearing age. It is manifested by the abnormal presence of fragments similar to the endometrium, the uterine lining, outside the uterus: for example on the bladder, fallopian tubes, ovaries, digestive system, diaphragm ... This disease disabling causes severe pain during menstruation (dysmenorrhea), but often also when going to the toilet, during sexual intercourse or even daily, and is sometimes synonymous with infertility. Treatment can be hormonal, with a contraceptive that suppresses the menstrual cycle, or surgical, by removing the lesions. Unfortunately, the disease can recur.

  Source : MedicalXpress