Women With Endometriosis Face 'systemic Misogyny'

"I dislike to opportunity it, but if this information was happening to men, things would beryllium very different," says Gill Capewell.

The women who sewage successful touch shared profoundly individual insights into their condition, arsenic good arsenic aesculapian records, photos, curen information, and moreover successful 1 lawsuit a dismissal letter.

Apart from endometriosis, they each person 1 point successful common: they want their stories to beryllium heard truthful that endometriosis tin beryllium amended understood and 1 day, possibly moreover cured.

"I person had fibroids and endometriosis for complete 5 years, been passed from pillar to station astir nan NHS, been successful debilitating symptom and bleeding truthful overmuch that I became severely anaemic," says Gill, from south-east London.

"At points, I couldn't time off nan location because nan humor travel was truthful aggravated and yet I could not get an assignment connected nan NHS to get thing done astir it.

"It was ruining my life and yet not considered life-threatening."

Gill says that moreover though she wanted nan chance to person children, she has now had a afloat hysterectomy.

"It is evidently devastating successful immoderate ways but a monolithic alleviation successful others."

Freya Bowen says she has lived pinch aggravated menstrual symptom since she was 14.

During her GCSEs she made repeated infirmary visits but was told cysts and growths recovered during ultrasounds would walk connected their own.

Just earlier her 18th birthday, she was admitted to infirmary for 3 days pinch a superior infection, experiencing what she describes arsenic "such terrible symptom I thought I was going to die".

"Yet I was many times denied symptom relief, to nan constituent different diligent crossed from maine sewage up and looked for a caregiver to dainty me," says Freya.

A scan revealed she had appendiceal endometriosis and had astir apt been suffering from it for years.

She was told that her appendix would apt person burst if she had near nan hospital.

Her appendix was removed and she was put connected a waiting database for a master women's hospital.

"I americium now 22 and person been waiting for complete 4 years to time off that hold list, having had nan referral mislaid and misplaced aggregate times erstwhile it was almost nan origin of my death," she explains.

Despite continuing pain, she says nan only proposal she has been fixed is to return nan contraceptive pill.

"This is systemic misogyny playing retired successful our country's medical, master and acquisition environments."

"Endometriosis is not 'just bad periods', it is simply a serious, life-altering illness that affects each portion of a woman's life, from her wellness to her profession and fertility," says Fahmida.

The 35-year-old from Newham had suffered from symptoms of endometriosis since she was 14 but was not formally diagnosed until 2017.

She says astatine her worst, she was "bedbound for months astatine a time" and astatine times she felt for illustration personification was trying to "rip my organs retired pinch barbed wire".

In 2019, an MRI scan revealed she had Stage 4 heavy infiltrating endometriosis - nan astir terrible shape of nan condition.

"While my aesculapian travel has been incredibly challenging, what has been moreover harder has been my acquisition successful nan workplace," says Fahmida, who precocious underwent surgery.

She said alternatively of receiving support for a "chronic and debilitating condition", she had "often been made to consciousness for illustration a burden".

She says location needs to beryllium mandatory training for managers truthful they understand really to support labor surviving pinch conditions for illustration endometriosis.

"No female should person to conflict this illness while besides fighting to beryllium believed astatine work.

"All we are asking for is understanding, dignity and nan chance to proceed moving pinch nan support we need."

'Told I was excessively sensitive'

Fern Dixon says she had go truthful utilized to nan symptom of her agonising periods that she almost died from peritonitis and sepsis successful early 2025.

"The logic I didn't activity immoderate aesculapian thief until I was delirious pinch a fever is because nan symptom was obscurity adjacent arsenic bad arsenic a regular play is for me," she explained successful her email to me.

"I person been seeking thief for my achy periods for 25 years. I was ne'er believed, I was told I was excessively sensitive, aliases I was told I was conscionable unlucky."

She waited 4 months earlier her appendix could beryllium removed. Endometriosis was recovered successful her peritoneal sac.

"I asked if it was recovered connected nan appendix, but nan infection and scarring was truthful bad nan expert couldn't opportunity for certain, but he suspected it was nan underlying origin of nan rupture," she says.

"I person since had 1 transvaginal ultrasound... I person not been offered immoderate further treatment, contempt nan information almost costing maine my life."

Single genitor Kayleigh Glendon, from Kent, had spent astir 14 years trying to find retired what was incorrect earlier she was diagnosed pinch Stage 4 endometriosis successful 2022.

"In 2023, I had room and recovered (endometriosis) was connected my bladder, bowel, urethra, you sanction it, it was there," she recalls.

"In 2025, aged 38, I had hysterectomy surgery. The time earlier my surgery, a gathering was called pinch my managers and HR and moreover though I was a 'hard working, conscientious and valuable personnel of nan team', I was dismissed, owed to sick health."

She says she is waiting for a laparoscopic cholecystectomy to region her gallbladder.

"My intelligence wellness has been astatine an all-time low, and losing a occupation I loved, owed to my wellness issues, arsenic you tin imagine, has been psyche destroying," she says.

Kayleigh's erstwhile employer has been contacted for comment.

Rochelle, from Hertfordshire, is 27 years aged and has suffered pinch achy periods from nan property of 13.

She was put connected nan pill astatine 14, and though that helped pinch excessive bleeding, by aged 20 she was successful excruciating symptom each month.

Rochelle was offered nan Mirena intrauterine instrumentality which worked for 2 years, aft which nan symptom returned and was nan worst it had ever been.

Fortunately Rochelle has backstage healthcare done activity and a supportive manager, and an MRI scan successful July 2025 confirmed she had terrible Stage 4 endometriosis.

She has since undergone surgery.

"Aside from beingness pain, nan intelligence broadside is conscionable arsenic tormenting. I person ne'er felt truthful debased mentally, owed to nan changeless symptom and suffering," she says.

For nan female whose communicative inspired others to travel guardant pinch their experiences, it has been a whirlwind commencement to 2026.

Sanju Pal has truthful acold appeared connected nationalist and location tv and radio, and attended a number of events astatine Parliament during Endometriosis Awareness Month.

She is connected a ngo to person endometriosis officially recognised arsenic a disability.

In nan UK, a disablement is defined nether nan Equality Act 2010 arsenic a beingness aliases intelligence impairment that has a important and semipermanent antagonistic effect connected a person's expertise to transportation retired normal day-to-day activities.

Although endometriosis tin beryllium classed arsenic a disability, it is not automatically recognised arsenic such.

As she arrived astatine Portcullis House successful Westminster for nan motorboat of nan latest figures from Endometriosis UK, Sanju said she was much wished than ever to make a change.

“The study says that it takes connected mean 9 years and 4 months to get a diagnosis," she says.

"That's why my run goes wider than endometriosis, it's for each gynaecological conditions that are fluctuating and recurring to beryllium portion of nan meaning of disability, truthful that women successful nan UK get their adjacent authorities successful nan workplace.

"That is thing that needs changing and I'm present to do it."