Why is endometriosis so difficult to diagnose?

Endometriosis is difficult to diagnose because it doesn't always show up on scans, including MRIs, and symptoms can overlap with other illnesses.

How long did it take to get an endometriosis diagnosis?

It took 11 years from the initial seeking of medical help for the author to finally receive a diagnosis of endometriosis in 2025.

What is being called for in the UK regarding menstrual health?

A petition is urging the UK Government to introduce paid menstrual leave of up to 3 days per month for conditions like endometriosis, following Portugal's example.

Home / Health / Endometriosis Diagnosis: An 11-Year Struggle

Endometriosis Diagnosis: An 11-Year Struggle

31 Jan

•

Summary

Endometriosis is difficult to diagnose as it doesn't always show on scans.
The patient was repeatedly misdiagnosed for 11 years before correct diagnosis.
Calls grow for UK to adopt Portugal's 3-day paid menstrual leave policy.

Endometriosis Diagnosis: An 11-Year Struggle

A woman's decade-long battle for an endometriosis diagnosis underscores the condition's challenging nature. Despite seeking help at age 16, she was repeatedly told her pain was normal and given birth control, which caused severe side effects. Endometriosis often evades detection, even on MRIs, leading many women to be "gaslit into thinking pain is normal."

After 11 years, including a diagnostic laparoscopy in 2021 that found "no evidence" of the disease, she was finally diagnosed in 2025. This occurred despite doctors assuring her it wasn't present. She later underwent private excision surgery, the gold standard treatment, made possible by health insurance.

A petition is now calling on the UK Government to introduce up to three days of paid menstrual leave per month for conditions like endometriosis and adenomyosis. This policy would follow the model recently introduced in Portugal in 2025, seeking to provide crucial support for those suffering from debilitating menstrual pain.