diagnoses Waits for endometriosis rise to average of nearly nine years

Women are waiting nearly nine years for an endometriosis diagnosis in the UK, according to research that found health professionals often minimise or dismiss symptoms.

- Hannah Devlin

The study, by the charity Endometriosis UK, suggests waiting times for a diagnosis have significantly deteriorated in the past three years, increasing to an average of eight years and 10 months in England, up 10 months since 2020. In Scotland, the average diagnosis time has increased by four months since 2020: it now also takes eight years and 10 months.

The report, based on a survey of 4,371 people who have received a diagnosis of endometriosis, shows almost half of respondents (47%) had visited their GP 10 or more times with symptoms before receiving a diagnosis, and 70% had visited five times or more.

Emma Cox, the CEO of Endometriosis UK, said: "Taking almost nine years to get a diagnosis of endometriosis is unacceptable. Our finding that it now takes even longer to get a diagnosis of endometriosis must be a wake-up call to decision-makers to stop minimising or ignoring the significant impact endometriosis can have on both physical and mental health."

Endometriosis is a condition in which tissue similar to the womb lining grows elsewhere, such as in the ovaries and fallopian tubes. It can cause pain and affect fertility. Symptoms include painful periods, painful bowel movement, pain when urinating, and pain during or after sex. It is thought to affect about one in 10 women of child-bearing age.