Endometriosis: Women in Wales waiting 10 years for diagnosis

The wait to be diagnosed with endometriosis has increased to almost ten years, a "devastating" milestone say women with the condition.

It now takes almost a year more than before 2020 to be diagnosed, according to research published by Endometriosis UK, which is setting up new volunteer-led support groups in Wales.

The wait in Wales is also the longest in the UK, the research found.

The Welsh government said it knew there was "room for improvement".

"Nobody listened to me, and to feel like women are still going through that 20 years after my diagnosis is horrific," said Michelle Bates. The 48-year old from Cardiff was diagnosed aged 25 after suffering with "harrowing" pain from age 13 onwards - a 12-year wait.

"I went back and forth to the GP with my mum, who was the only one who believed in my pain," she said.

The study by Endometriosis UK, which is based on a survey of 4,371 people who received a diagnosis of endometriosis, showed almost half of all respondents (47%) had visited their GP 10 or more times with symptoms prior to receiving a diagnosis, and 70% had visited five times or more.

It also found 78% of people who later went on to receive a diagnosis of endometriosis - up from 69% in 2020 - were told by doctors they were making a "fuss about nothing", or comments to that effect.

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Source: BBC News, 18 March 2024