BBC broadcaster Emma Barnett has revealed her 21-year struggle to obtain a diagnosis for endometriosis, describing the condition as a 'silent thief' that affects at least one in ten women in the UK. In a personal account, Barnett said she was repeatedly told by GPs that she was simply one of the 'unlucky ones' with painful periods, before finally being diagnosed via laparoscopy at age 31.
Barnett's story comes as a cross-party group of MPs published a report on endometriosis, based on testimony from more than 10,000 women. The report highlighted that the average wait for a diagnosis remains eight years, a figure that has not improved in a decade. Over half of those surveyed had visited their GP more than ten times before receiving a diagnosis.
Barnett welcomed the parliamentary attention but called the report's target—to cut diagnosis wait times to four years or less by 2025—'simply not ambitious enough'. She noted that endometriosis affects the same number of women in the UK as type 2 diabetes but receives a fraction of the medical research funding.
The broadcaster also highlighted the 'gender pain gap', citing evidence that women wait longer in A&E and are less likely to receive effective painkillers. With the rise of telephone consultations during the COVID-19 pandemic, she questioned how the next generation of women will secure a diagnosis without better advocacy and medical understanding.
Barnett urged women to learn to describe their symptoms more effectively and called on health professionals to 'meet us in the middle' and believe patients' accounts. 'A silent, weary army has been awakened and refuses to be fobbed off any more,' she said.
