Clinical Practice
Clinical Practice
‘ Long way to go ’
Endometriosis health issues double in last decade
By Erin Morley
A
2023 study has found that endometriosis-related hospitalisations in Australian women ( people assigned female at birth ) has increased 24 per cent in the decade , and doubled in the 20-24 age bracket from 2012-2022 .
The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare ( AIHW ) reported there were 250 hospitalisations per 100,000 females in 2011-12 , compared to 310 per 100,000 in 2021-22 ; with a decreasing median age of hospitalisations .
Expert in chronic conditions at AIHW Katherine Faulks said these numbers don ’ t necessarily represent a growth in the disease itself , but instead , a rise in understanding of endometriosis .
“ This increase may reflect increased awareness of endometriosis among the general public and health professionals , leading to increased diagnosis and / or reporting of diagnosis among women born more recently ,” Ms Faulks said .
By age 31 , 9.2 per cent of women born between 1989-95 were diagnosed with endometriosis , compared to 6.9 per cent of women born between 1973-78 at the same age .
Endometriosis is the third-leading reproductive health disease in Australian women , and is known for its misdiagnoses and the long time it takes to diagnose .
In fact , women wait an average of six to eight years after first reporting symptoms to receive a proper diagnosis of endometriosis .
Maddy Forster , a 25-year-old from Melbourne , said although endometriosis awareness is increasing , it still took doctors six years and four surgeries to diagnose her with stage four endometriosis and adenomyosis .
Ms Forster said she felt the three doctors she saw before her current endometriosis specialist weren ’ t educated about the disease at all and disregarded any signs of her being seriously ill , putting her on a birth control pill as a ‘ set it and forget it ’ measure .
“ Women wait an average of six to eight years after first reporting symptoms to receive a proper diagnosis of endometriosis .
“ When [ my previous doctors operated on me ], and realised they weren ’ t able to do what they needed to , they should ’ ve closed me up and told me and referred me to someone else ,” she said .
Ms Forster explained even though her diagnosis experience was long and damaged her health , young women now contact her on social media to share their diagnosis stories , which are gradually becoming more streamlined .
“ I think there is more reach out there for women to trust their bodies and say ‘ hang on , this is not right ’,” she said .
“ There is still a really long way to go in terms of the first step of women going to their GP , and saying ‘ this is what I ’ m feeling ’, [ without immediately ] being put on the pill .” ■ nursingreview . com . au | 23