Earlier this week Dr. Newville and I spent a few minutes on New Day Northwest talking about both common and less well-known symptoms of endometriosis, as well as our surgical approach using excision rather than ablation. In the spirit of March being Endometriosis Awareness Month, it is one small step toward raising awareness, and we hope the message reaches people who might not otherwise learn about the condition. In many ways, the goal of these blogs is the same.

Despite affecting roughly one in ten women and individuals assigned female at birth, endometriosis remains widely misunderstood and frequently underdiagnosed. Many patients have heard the statistic that the average time from the onset of symptoms to diagnosis is seven to eight years. That means many people spend nearly a decade living with pain and uncertainty before receiving clear answers—an astonishingly long time for any chronic condition.

Part of the challenge is that endometriosis does not have a simple diagnostic test. There is no blood test that reliably detects it, and imaging studies frequently do not identify the disease—especially in its earlier stages. Because of this, diagnosis still relies heavily on listening to a patient’s symptoms, recognizing patterns, and doing a thorough exam. When symptoms are not classic or typical, the path to diagnosis can easily become prolonged.

Another factor is the long-standing normalization of pain, particularly around menstruation. Many patients tell us that from their teenage years they were told severe period pain was “normal” or simply “part of being a woman.” It is not uncommon for someone to reach their 30s or 40s before finally being diagnosed with advanced endometriosis, only to realize that the symptoms they had been experiencing since adolescence were never normal in the first place. Changing this narrative—helping people understand the difference between typical menstrual discomfort and symptoms that warrant medical evaluation—is a critical part of raising awareness.

Social media has also become an important piece of the awareness puzzle. While it can certainly be a double-edged sword, it has helped many patients realize they are not alone and that their symptoms deserve attention. When directing patients to accurate educational resources, these platforms can sometimes help shorten the path to diagnosis.  Once patients begin questioning their symptoms, having access to reliable information becomes especially important.  On the education page of the Pacific Endometriosis website, we share a collection of articles on topics such as bowel endometriosis, adenomyosis, and associated conditions like interstitial cystitis. We hope that providing clear, accessible information helps patients recognize symptoms, ask informed questions, and advocate for their care.

If you know someone in your life who has been quietly struggling with severely painful periods or other pelvic pain without clear answers, consider sharing this message with them. Sometimes awareness begins with small steps. And meaningful change can begin with a simple message reaching the right person.