Despite costing the UK economy £8.2 billion annually, being the second most common gynaecological condition in the UK and affecting 1 in 10 women in the UK (1.5 million), it still takes shocking average of 7.5 years to get diagnosed with endometriosis.
Endometriosis UK is calling for shorter diagnosis time to ensure better health and life outcomes for women affected. There is no cure for endometriosis, and it can only be diagnosed through surgery (laparoscopy). But having a diagnosis enables women to:
- receive appropriate treatment, saving women from many years of living in constant pain;
- gain confidence, rather than being told they are 'making up' their symptoms which may not be believed;
- stay in work, by having a named medical condition that can be understood and managed;
- make informed choices about fertility issues (endometriosis doubles the risk of infertility in under 35s)
- reduce the impact on the NHS through decreased visits to GPs and unnecessary treatments.
Our full awareness week press release can be found here.
Find out how you can help raise awareness here
