UK Women Endure Years-Long Endometriosis Diagnosis Delays

Tehyana Johnson, a 22-year-old from Norwich, England, endured a decade of excruciating pain before receiving a diagnosis of severe endometriosis in July 2025, a delay that left lesions and scar tissue across multiple organs, including her bowels. Her story, shared amid Endometriosis Awareness Month, underscores a widespread issue affecting an estimated 176 million women globally, where symptoms are often dismissed by medical professionals, leading to years of suffering and calls for systemic improvements in diagnosis and care.

Johnson first noticed symptoms at age nine with heavy menstrual bleeding that prompted treatment for iron deficiency. By 12, the pain intensified to include nausea, vomiting, and cramps so severe she missed school and curled into a fetal position for days. Doctors prescribed the contraceptive pill at 14 without further investigation, attributing back pain to growing pains. Over the years, her complaints of full-body agony, blood in urine, and hospital visits were met with skepticism, often blamed on her weight or routine periods. She estimates more than 250 appointments in the past three years alone.

In 2023, after switching general practitioners, a locum...