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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Politics
Hannah Devlin Science correspondent

Women in UK waiting almost nine years for endometriosis diagnosis, study finds

Woman with abdominal pain sitting on a bed
Endometriosis symptoms include painful periods, painful bowel movements, pain when urinating and pain during or after sex. Photograph: martin-dm/Getty Images

Women are waiting nearly nine years for an endometriosis diagnosis in the UK, according to research that found health professionals often minimise or dismiss symptoms.

The study by the charity Endometriosis UK suggests waiting times for a diagnosis have significantly deteriorated in the past three years, increasing to an average of eight years and 10 months, up 10 months since 2020. In Scotland, the average diagnosis time has increased by four months.

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