THE risk of women developing endometriosis is increased by around 30 percent by just three sessions a year on a tanning bed, a study has warned.

U.S. experts found that risk of the painful condition also increased the more women got sun burnt or used sunscreen during their teenage and young adulthood years.

However, the team also found that women living in areas with high levels of UV light — like in the southern U.S. — were less likely to be diagnosed with the disorder.

Endometriosis is a condition where tissue similar to the lining of the womb grows in other places, such as the ovaries and fallopian tubes.

“Prior research into the long-term health consequences of endometriosis has suggested that women with the condition are at greater risk of melanoma,” said paper author and epidemiologist Leslie Farland of the University of Arizona.

“The exact mechanisms underlying the association between endometriosis and melanoma are not known.”

However, she added, “several studies have found a greater risk of endometriosis in women who are sensitive to sunlight, don’t tan easily and have red hair, light eyes, freckling or a high number of moles.”

“These associations may reflect a common genetic background between endometriosis and melanoma or an underlying association between sun exposure and risk of endometriosis.”

In their study, Professor Farland and colleagues studied 116,429 women who joined the U.S. Nurses’ Health Study II in 1989, when they were aged between 25 and 42 years, and followed them up until 2015. Each woman provided updated information on their medical history and their exposure to risk factors for several chronic diseases.

“Our findings suggest that avoiding excessive recreational sun exposure and tanning beds may reduce your endometriosis risk,” said paper author and epidemiologist Stacey Missmer, of the Michigan State University.(SD-Agencies)