‘Labour must take up the challenge on endometriosis’

 “I believe this country has, for far too long, faced not only a problem of everyday sexism but also one of medical misogyny”

Wes Streeting MP

As someone with more than two decades of experience supporting people through fertility struggles, Emma Barnett’s documentary Fighting Endometriosis left me frustrated, angry and saddened. Emotions which, for centuries, would have been dismissed as the hallmarks of a “hysterical woman” — and yes, the irony is intentional.

I have seen first-hand the all-consuming, life-shattering impact that endometriosis can have on individuals and families. I have witnessed the frustration of women being told that their symptoms are “just heavy periods”, only to then face a diagnosis that often comes with the equally disheartening message that there is little that can be done to help.

Endometriosis affects one in ten women and those assigned female at birth in the UK. Yet the average time to diagnosis remains more than nine years. The physical, psychological and social consequences vary from person to person, but for many the impact is profound and debilitating.

READ MORE: Labour cannot waste time ‘treading water’ in government, warns Streeting

The effects extend far beyond pain. Endometriosis is linked to between 30% and 50% of fertility problems, and it is estimated to cost the UK economy £12 billion annually through lost productivity, reduced working hours and women being forced to leave employment altogether.

Far from being “just heavy periods”, endometriosis can cause chronic pelvic pain, severe menstrual cramps, heavy or irregular bleeding, fatigue, bowel and bladder problems, and pain during or after intercourse. These symptoms can affect every aspect of a person’s life, from education and employment to relationships, family life and mental wellbeing.

Programmes such as Fighting Endometriosis are part of what I hope, pray and dare to believe could become a tipping point in how we understand and respond to this condition in the UK.

There are reasons for optimism. We now have updated NICE guidance aimed at reducing diagnostic delays and improving pathways for pain management and fertility care.

We also have the renewed Women’s Health Strategy for England, which prioritises ending what has been described as the “diagnostic odyssey” faced by those with endometriosis. It seeks to tackle long waiting times, systemic bias and barriers to accessing care.

Alongside this, the courage of individual women continues to drive change. A landmark legal case established that endometriosis can constitute a disability under the Equality Act 2010, setting an important precedent for the protection of employees living with chronic gynaecological conditions.

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But to return to Wes Streeting’s observation, one of the fundamental barriers that must now be challenged — and ultimately removed — is medical misogyny itself.

For too long there has been a collective shrug of the shoulders when confronted with women’s pain. A life-long, often disabling condition has been normalised and minimised, with sufferers told it is simply something they must learn to tolerate.

Women’s physiology is not too complicated. Women’s pain is not less real. Women’s health needs are not less important.

We must ensure that the action plans, clinical pathways and commitments already on the table are fully implemented. We should also learn from countries such as Australia and France, which have adopted ambitious national approaches to improving endometriosis care and reducing diagnostic delays.

With a progressive Labour government now in office, this is the moment not only to listen but to act.

And, as with all forms of misogyny and systemic bias, the responsibility does not rest solely with those directly affected. It belongs to all of us.

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Because the fight against endometriosis is not simply a women’s issue. It is a matter of fairness, equality and justice.

To paraphrase a familiar phrase: this fight is for the many, not the few.

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