Disbelieved, dismissed, delayed: Endometriosis diagnosis inequalities in ethnically diverse communities (23 March 2026)

Summary

A new report, jointly produced by charities Cysters and Endometriosis UK, sheds light on the biases and inequalities faced by endometriosis patients from ethnically diverse communities.

The report reveals that patients from these communities are waiting more than 16% (1 year and 8 months) longer than the UK average waiting time for an endometriosis diagnosis time.

The report draws on findings from more than 500 people from ethnically diverse communities living with endometriosis, as well as ten supplementary interviews.

Content

Findings:

• People from ethnically diverse communities wait, on average, 11 years for an endometriosis diagnosis in the UK.
• This is compared to the UK-wide average diagnosis time of 9 years and 4 months.
• Patients from ethnically diverse backgrounds wait more than twice as long (4 years) between seeing a gynaecologist and being diagnosed with endometriosis as the UK-wide average (1 year and 10 months).
• This is despite going to their GP sooner after first noticing symptoms, and waiting less time to see a gynaecologist.
• More than two thirds (68%) believed their ethnicity either played a role in their diagnosis, proved a barrier to diagnosis, or was the subject of assumptions made by healthcare practitioners.
• Just 11% believed healthcare providers are culturally sensitive.