10 Facts About Endometriosis

1. Endometriosis affects 1 in 9 people assigned female at birth.

Endometriosis is a chronic inflammatory condition estimated to affect around 1 in 9 people assigned female at birth by age 44 in Australia. It can have profound impacts on quality of life, including pain, fatigue, fertility concerns, and impacts on work and relationships.
📚 Source: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. Endometriosis in Australia: Prevalence and hospitalisations

2. It’s more than “just bad periods.”

While period pain is common, the pain of endometriosis is often chronic, disabling, and can occur outside of menstruation. Dismissing it as “normal” can delay diagnosis and care.
📚 Source: Endometriosis Australia. Understanding Endometriosis

3. Pain during sex, or while going to the toilet can be a sign.

Endometriosis lesions can affect pelvic organs, leading to pain with intercourse (dyspareunia), bowel movements, or urination, especially during menstruation.
📚 Source: World Health Organization. Endometriosis fact sheet (2023)

4. It often starts in the teenage years.

Symptoms of endometriosis can begin soon after the onset of periods (menarche), but many teens are dismissed or misdiagnosed, increasing the emotional and physical toll.
📚 Source: American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Endometriosis in adolescents

5. Diagnosis can take up to 7 years.

On average, people with endometriosis wait 6.5 to 7 years for a diagnosis due to normalisation of symptoms and lack of awareness among healthcare providers.
📚 Source: AIHW. Endometriosis in Australia

6. You don’t need visible endometriosis to have severe pain.

Pain severity doesn’t always correlate with how much disease is seen on imaging or laparoscopy. Even microscopic or deep infiltrating lesions can cause disabling symptoms.
📚 Source: Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. Endometriosis: diagnosis and management

7. Fertility problems are common—but not inevitable.

Up to 50% of people with endometriosis may experience infertility, but many still conceive naturally or with assisted reproductive technologies. Early management and support matter.
📚 Source: ASRM. Endometriosis and infertility: A committee opinion

8. Hormonal treatments don’t cure it—but can help.

Medications like the pill, progestins, and GnRH analogues may reduce pain and slow progression, but they do not eliminate endometriosis. They are part of a toolbox—not a fix.
📚 Source: NICE Guidelines. Endometriosis: diagnosis and management (NG73)

9. Surgery can help—but isn’t always the answer.

Laparoscopic excision can reduce pain and improve fertility—but not all patients benefit, and recurrence is possible. Surgery is most effective when combined with long-term care.
📚 Source: Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RANZCOG). Endometriosis

10. There is support—and you deserve care.

You’re not alone. Advocacy groups, specialist GPs, pelvic physios, and psychologists can all help. Early recognition and a multidisciplinary approach can make a huge difference.
📚 Source: Jean Hailes for Women's Health. Managing endometriosis

For amazing Queensland based support, look at qendo.org.au.