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“With endometriosis, most people end up minimising their pain, gaslighting themselves so they don’t reach out for help,” Abbie Filer explains.<\/b><\/p>\n
“The onus shouldn’t be on them to display their symptoms in an acceptable way – patients already do so much to manage their health and push for the right care.”<\/b><\/p>\n
The 27-year-old from Leeds was diagnosed with endometriosis 2024.<\/p>\n
The condition – which affects one in 10 women and people assigned female at birth in the UK – is when tissue similar to the lining of the womb grows outside of it.<\/p>\n
It can cause severe and debilitating symptoms, external<\/span><\/a> such as pelvic pain, heavy periods, fatigue and infertility.<\/p>\n Prior to diagnosis, Abbie experienced a decade of heavy periods and Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD), a hormonal condition which can cause debilitating low moods, brain fog and fatigue.<\/p>\n In 2023, she was forced to use a catheter. After seven months of “no answers”, endometriosis was finally discovered through surgery. <\/p>\n “If I hadn’t gone into urinary retention, I probably wouldn’t have a diagnosis at this point in time,” she says.<\/p>\n Despite the condition’s prevalence, many women can wait years until they have it officially confirmed. <\/p>\n This week The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) released draft guidance, external<\/span><\/a> recommending new tests be made available on the NHS, aiming to provide quicker diagnosis.<\/p>\n The two non-invasive tests will be offered by GPs in England and Wales during a three-year trial period<\/a>, while evidence is gathered on the success of the roll-out. <\/p>\n Endotest is a spit test that looks for genetic material, and Endosure measures electrical signals in the gut using sensor pads on the abdomen. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n