Painful Periods Are Common — But Not Always 'Normal'
Endometriosis takes an average of seven to ten years to diagnose. Much of that delay comes from a single, costly assumption: that severe period pain is just something to put up with.
Reproductive health conditions are among the most under-diagnosed in women, and endometriosis is the clearest example. It affects around one in ten women, yet the journey to diagnosis often spans the better part of a decade — largely because debilitating period pain, pain during sex, and chronic pelvic pain are so often normalised, by patients and clinicians alike.
Adenomyosis, a related condition where tissue grows into the muscular wall of the womb, causes heavy, painful periods and is frequently confused with fibroids. And premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) — when ovaries lose function before the age of forty — is sometimes missed because women are assumed to be 'too young' for menopausal symptoms.
The reassuring message is that these conditions are recognised and manageable. Options range from hormonal treatments and pain management to specialist surgery and fertility support. POI, in particular, is usually managed with hormone therapy until the average age of menopause, to protect bone and heart health. Pain that disrupts your life is a reason to be heard, not to be patient.
- 01Period pain that stops you functioning, or pain during sex
- 02Chronic pelvic pain, or bowel and bladder symptoms around your period
- 03Very heavy periods, or an enlarged, tender uterus
- 04Irregular or absent periods before forty, with hot flushes or low libido
If period pain regularly keeps you from work, school, or daily life — or if you are struggling to conceive — ask specifically about endometriosis and related conditions rather than accepting pain as inevitable.