Endometriosis Driving Women Out of Workplaces Due to Debilitating Illness

An estimated one in six women with endometriosis are leaving the workplace because the condition makes them unable to work. Endometriosis causes tissue similar to the lining of the womb to grow outside it, leading to excruciating pain.

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I would have a client, then sit in a boiling hot bath to ease my stomach pain. It was horrible, but it was the only way I could earn a living.

Carla Cressy, 35, experienced severe pain from the age of 13 when her periods began, but was not diagnosed with endometriosis until she was 25. During that time, doctors mistakenly removed her appendix, believing she had appendicitis. She was repeatedly hospitalized for severe constipation, vomiting, and pain, but was told it was a stomach bug.

"I would have a client, then sit in a boiling hot bath to ease my stomach pain. It was horrible, but it was the only way I could earn a living," Cressy said. She retrained as a beauty therapist, feeling "unemployable and unreliable" due to her health issues. Her endometriosis had progressed to frozen pelvis disease, causing extensive damage to her reproductive organs, requiring bladder reconstruction surgery and a total hysterectomy. While she froze her eggs, she cannot carry a child and would need surrogacy to have children.

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It still shocks me that this condition is so common.

Cressy, who was made an OBE for her advocacy, has given evidence to an inquiry into how endometriosis affects women in the workplace. Currently, the UK lacks legislation to ensure fair treatment for workers needing time off for menstrual health conditions. "It still shocks me that this condition is so common," she stated. "When I was diagnosed 10 years ago, I was told I was too young and that it was rare. We now know that it is absolutely not rare."

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When I was diagnosed 10 years ago, I was told I was too young and that it was rare. We now know that it is absolutely not rare.

Abi Smith, 27, also shared her struggles, noting that her endometriosis has significantly impacted her mental health over the years. She described throwing up in a bin at work due to the pain. The condition is often misunderstood as merely a period problem, but it can lead to severe issues like lung collapse, kidney loss, infertility, and career disruption.

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I threw up in a bin at work