Attractiveness of women with rectovaginal endometriosis: a case-control study

Objective: To evaluate physical attractiveness in women with and without endometriosis.

Design: Case-control study.

Setting: Academic hospital.

Patient(s): Three hundred nulliparous women.

Intervention(s): Assessment of attractiveness by four independent female and male observers.

Main outcome measure(s): A graded attractiveness rating scale.

Result(s): A total of 31 of 100 women in the rectovaginal endometriosis group (cases) were judged as attractive or very attractive, compared with 8 of 100 in the peritoneal and ovarian endometriosis group and 9 of 100 in the group of subjects without endometriosis. A higher proportion of cases first had intercourse before age 18 (53%, 39%, and 30%, respectively). The mean ± SD body mass index in women with rectovaginal endometriosis, in those with other disease forms, and in those without endometriosis was, respectively, 21.0 ± 2.5, 21.3 ± 3.3, and 22.1 ± 3.6. The median (interquartile range) waist-to-hip ratio and breast-to-underbreast ratio were, respectively, 0.75 (0.71-0.81), 0.76 (0.71-0.81), and 0.78 (0.73-0.83), and 1.15 (1.12-1.20), 1.14 (1.10-1.17), and 1.15 (1.11-1.18).

Conclusion(s): Women with rectovaginal endometriosis were judged to be more attractive than those in the two control groups. Moreover, they had a leaner silhouette, larger breasts, and an earlier coitarche.