Endometriosis can cause chronic pain, infertility, pain during sex and fatigue, on top of its most common symptom: painful periods. Despite these symptoms and their impact on quality of life, many patients wait years for a diagnosis. Factors contributing to this long and painful wait include medical dismissal, lack of awareness and the normalization of menstrual pain.

Today in The Conversation Canada, four researchers from three countries share their findings on endometriosis diagnosis, awareness and patient advocacy. Using quantitative research methods, Eileen Mary Holowka from Concordia University, Maria Kathryn Tomlinson from University of Sheffield, Mie Kusk Søndergaard from University of Southern Denmark and Ulrik Bak Kirk from Aarhus University have identified some clear changes that are needed to promote awareness of endometriosis, and subsequently reduce diagnostic timelines. While greater awareness might help patients seek treatment sooner, “the burden of care cannot be on patients alone, particularly for a condition like endometriosis which comes with a long history of patient-blaming.”

Also today:

• Vladimir Putin, the czar of macho politics, is threatened by gender and sexuality rights
• Allow me to introduce myself: Squirrels use rattle calls to identify themselves
• How climate change stresses plants and alters their growth
• ‘Too many people, not enough food’ isn’t the cause of hunger and food insecurity

Regards,