EDM 376: Support for endometriosis care

That this House is concerned about the severe impact that endometriosis has on the physical and mental health of one in ten women in the UK; notes that this painful condition affects 1.5 million women causing chronic pain, and fatigue and, in some cases, an inability to conceive and that people who have the disease still wait over eight years on average to be diagnosed; commends research by Dr Jasmine Hearn and colleagues at Manchester Metropolitan University published in the Journal of Health Communication 2024, which found that many women’s experiences of seeking medical help was characterized by doctors and nurses not believing them, thinking they were exaggerating, and dismissing their concerns as women’s issues, making them feel ashamed, embarrassed, powerless and less likely to seek out help in the future; and calls on the governments in the four nations of the UK to work to improve understanding of endometriosis in the fields of health, education and employment, which are currently lacking in research and healthcare, in addition to medical interventions.