When Is Endometriosis Awareness Month?
March is Endometriosis Awareness Month, a global initiative to increase understanding of endometriosis, an inflammatory reproductive condition inflicting severe pain and in some cases, infertility.
By raising awareness, Endometriosis Awareness Month encourages early detection, research advancements, and better support for those affected.
What Is Endometriosis?
Endometriosis is a condition where endometrial-like tissue–tissue similar to the uterine lining–grows outside the uterus, leading to chronic pain, inflammation, and potential organ damage.
This tissue can attach throughout the abdominal cavity, including the ovaries, fallopian tubes, intestines, bladder, and even the lungs, causing severe pain and fertility challenges.
Endometriosis symptoms often overlap with conditions like IBS and ovarian cysts, making accurate diagnosis challenging. This overlap can lead to misdiagnosis or even dismissal by healthcare providers if other possibilities aren’t thoroughly ruled out.
Why Endometriosis Awareness Matters
Despite affecting an estimated 190 million people worldwide, endometriosis continues to face challenges in diagnosis, funding, and overall awareness.
Patients report being told their pain is “just bad cramps,” or prescribed birth control as a one-size-fits-all solution, despite negative past experiences.
The reality? Endometriosis is a systemic disease that can cause chronic pain, infertility, and organ dysfunction. There is no cure, and for many, there are minimal effective non-invasive treatment options.
Key Endometriosis Statistics (2023-2024 Data)
Let’s dive a little deeper into the statistics on endometriosis.
An estimated one in ten people assigned female at birth are affected by endometriosis, according to the World Health Organization (WHO, 2023).
One in ten women of reproductive age translates to roughly 190 million people worldwide who are affected by endometriosis. The true number may be even higher, as many cases go undiagnosed due to delayed recognition, misdiagnosis, and limited access to specialized care.
The average time to diagnosis has historically been 7–10 years, though with recent improvements in awareness and methods for diagnosis, this is likely decreasing. (BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, 2024)
Endometriosis costs the U.S. economy $78 billion annually in healthcare costs and lost productivity. (Journal of Human Reproduction)
Funding Disparities in Endometriosis Research
In the US, The NIH allocates $41.7 billion annually for biomedical research, but only $16 million (0.038% of the medical research budget) was expected for endometriosis in 2022.
Endometriosis affects an estimated 11% of women in the U.S., yet received just $2.00 per patient per year in research funding. In contrast, Crohn’s disease—another non-fatal, chronic inflammatory condition affecting the digestive tract—receives $90 million, or approximately $130.07 per patient.
While Crohn’s disease affects a broader population beyond women of reproductive age, the study emphasizes that calling out this disparity is not to suggest Crohn’s disease is overfunded, but rather that endometriosis remains significantly underfunded. (Frontiers in Global Women's Health)
Why Does It Take 7–10 Years to Get Diagnosed?
There are limited financial resources for those who cannot seek out private healthcare or specialists.
There's a general lack of knowledge among both patients and certain healthcare providers. In some cases, providers assume women are somatizing, or turning psychological stress into physical stress despite there being nothing wrong physiologically. This leaves many women feeling as though their symptoms aren’t taken seriously.
There are minimal non-invasive diagnostic tools. The gold standard for diagnosis is still surgery (laparoscopy). There is hope, however, for a less invasive option developed by Australian researchers that screens for protein biomarkers of endometriosis in the blood. This breakthrough could be game-changing for the diagnosis delay.
Symptom overlap with other conditions: Endometriosis is often confused with IBS, ovarian cysts, pelvic inflammatory disease, or PCOS.
The Hidden Mental Health Toll of Endometriosis
People with endometriosis face a significantly higher risk of depression, anxiety, and eating disorders. A 2023 Yale study confirmed a genetic correlation between endometriosis and these mental health disorders, highlighting that they’re likely not just a product of endometriosis, but a component and symptom of it.
This research challenges the long-standing misconception that those with endometriosis are simply "overreacting" to period pain, reinforcing the reality that their suffering is both biologically rooted and widely overlooked.
Common Misconceptions About Endometriosis
Myth: "Endometriosis is just bad period cramps."
Fact: Endometriosis is a systemic disease, not just a reproductive health issue. It can cause chronic pain, fatigue, and organ dysfunction that extend beyond the menstrual cycle.
Myth: "Pregnancy or a hysterectomy can cure endometriosis."
Fact: While pregnancy may temporarily reduce symptoms, endometriosis often returns postpartum. A hysterectomy (surgical removal of the uterus) does not guarantee that symptoms will go away, although it does reduce pain in the majority of recipients. Endometriosis can persist outside the uterus after a hysterectomy, meaning symptoms can remain in some.
Myth: "Hormonal birth control cures endometriosis."
Fact: Hormonal treatments can manage symptoms, but they do not stop disease progression or eliminate existing lesions. Birth control effectively treats symptoms for most endometriosis patients (about two-thirds), however, one-third of patients need alternative treatments.
Myth: "Endometriosis always causes infertility."
Fact: Between 30-50% of people with endometriosis may experience infertility, making it the leading cause of infertility. However, most people with endometriosis can conceive naturally or with fertility treatments.
Myth: “Endometriosis only affects women”
Fact: There have been rare cases in which endometrial tissue has been found in men. This contributes to evidence against the theory of ‘retrograde menstruation’ which postulates that endometrial tissue migrates from the uterus to other tissues in the body.
Beyond March: Continuing the Fight for Awareness
Endometriosis Awareness Month is a crucial time for education and advocacy, but the fight doesn’t end on April 1st. Raising awareness year-round is essential for:
- Reducing diagnostic delays
- Pushing for better treatments
- Increasing research funding
By taking action—whether through raising awareness, advocating for policy change, or supporting someone with endo—we can help create a future where no one has to suffer in silence.
