Several women have shared accounts of their experiences living with endometriosis, a condition in which tissue similar to the lining of the womb grows outside it. Their stories highlight significant delays in diagnosis and the profound impact the condition has on employment and quality of life.
Carla Cressy worked as a model from age five until 17 but frequently collapsed during shoots due to undiagnosed endometriosis. After experiencing severe pain from age 13, she was not diagnosed until age 25. By that time, she had undergone unnecessary appendix removal based on a misdiagnosis of acute appendicitis, and had been hospitalized multiple times for symptoms attributed to stomach bugs. The delayed diagnosis allowed her condition to progress to frozen pelvis disease, requiring bladder reconstruction surgery and a total hysterectomy. She subsequently retrained as a beauty therapist, feeling unable to maintain reliable employment. Cressy has since founded The Endometriosis Foundation and given evidence to an ongoing inquiry into how endometriosis affects women in the workplace.
Abi Smith, age 27, experienced similar diagnostic delays. Prescribed gut health yoghurt at age 10 for pelvic pain, she described period pain as severe when menstruation began. She was not diagnosed until age 21 and says medical professionals failed to take her seriously. Smith is currently undergoing medically induced menopause treatment to manage pain and works as a sales administrator despite her condition. She has applied for disability benefits three times without success.
Monica Thomas, age 34, waited years for diagnosis and now has endometriosis spread to her lungs, requiring upcoming lung surgery. She also manages adenomyosis, pelvic congestion syndrome, and Lichen Sclerosus. Thomas founded Women’s Health Hope charity and is opening a women’s health hub in Ipswich. Research cited in her work indicates that 84% of women feel unheard by healthcare professionals. An NHS spokesperson noted that medical professionals should follow National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines for endometriosis diagnosis and that specialist care is available through women’s health hubs in most areas. Currently, there is no UK legislation ensuring workers with menstrual health conditions receive fair treatment regarding time off work.
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