Last reviewed and updated: January 2025
As endometriosis responds and grows when exposed to the female hormone oestrogen, a number of hormone treatments attempt to block or reduce the production of oestrogen in the body. Treatments aim to relieve symptoms and to prevent endometriosis from growing.
If you are offered the choice of hormone treatment, you may want to discuss with your doctor what the treatment involves, the pros and cons, along with the possible side effects of the treatment.
Hormone treatments work by reducing levels of oestrogen in the body preventing the lining of the womb and any endometriosis tissue from growing quickly. Some treatments work by causing a medical menopause. All treatments are temporary and the effects are reversed when the patient stops taking the hormones. Please note that these drugs have no effect on adhesions neither do they help to improve fertility.
Your doctor will be able to discuss different hormone treatment options that are available to you.
The following hormone treatment options are available to those with endometriosis:
Combined oral contraceptive pill (‘the Pill’)
Interuterine System (IUS) often referred to as 'the coil'
For more information download our Information Pack
Endometriosis Treatment Information Pack
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