Women across the UK are facing an agonising 14-year wait for an endometriosis diagnosis, with their lives "derailed" by crippling pain and systemic medical neglect, a damning new report reveals.
The study by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Endometriosis exposes a healthcare crisis leaving millions suffering in silence. Patients report being repeatedly dismissed by GPs, misdiagnosed, and forced to fight for years to be taken seriously.
Life on Hold
"I lost jobs, relationships, and years of my life to pain I didn't understand," shares Emma, 34, one of thousands whose stories feature in the report. "Doctors told me it was just bad periods or stress. I was made to feel I was exaggerating."
The impact extends far beyond physical symptoms:
- Career devastation: 81% report missing work or education frequently
- Mental health crisis: 90% experience anxiety or depression
- Relationship breakdowns: 50% say condition severely impacted personal relationships
Systemic Failure
Campaigners blame "decades of gender health inequality" for the diagnosis delay. Endometriosis - where tissue similar to the womb lining grows elsewhere - affects 1.5 million UK women yet remains chronically underfunded and misunderstood.
"This isn't just about period pain," says Labour MP Rachel Reeves, who chairs the group. "It's about a healthcare system failing women from school age to menopause. We need immediate action."
Call for Change
The report demands urgent government intervention, including:
- Reducing average diagnosis time to under 4 years by 2025
- Mandatory endometriosis training for all GPs
- Doubling research funding into treatments and cures
- Creating specialist centres across all NHS regions
As one patient testified: "I was 13 when my pain started. I got diagnosed at 32. No woman should have to fight this long to be believed."
