VIDEO: Factors contributing to delayed diagnosis of endometriosis

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Missed or delayed diagnosis of endometriosis comes from both the providers and the patient, as I just said. It comes from providers who may not have a complete appreciation of the severity of symptoms. It comes from patients who may not actually convey the severity of [symptoms]. I’ve had patients try to dismiss their symptoms to me, saying, “Well, you know, I understand it’s part of having a menstrual cycle.” So, I think it’s important to understand kind of what is normal and what is outside the box. That’s one thing. And for providers, I think, we’re all pressed on the time we have for seeing patients. And so, I think it’s important to actually, to listen to the patient and to try to get a thorough history. I know I teach medical students all the time, I tell them, make sure you’re listening to the patient because, you know, some of the symptoms of endometriosis are unique where it’s cyclic pain, and it waxes and wanes with the menstrual cycle. And when a younger patient may have had very painful menstrual cycles, and then as they got older, the pain was not just during the menstrual cycle, it was more outside the cycle. And as they got even older, it became chronic pelvic pain, where you have pain all the time. A lot of patients tell me that they have a poor libido, and their sexual life is really compromised because of the pelvic pain, and they don’t want to, you know, really communicate that to anybody. So, I think it’s important to take away the stigma of talking about these things. It’s important to educate patients to communicate what’s going on and important to educate providers to recognize the symptoms, understand. And it’s quite OK to refer people to someone else if that’s not your area of expertise, but it’s important to recognize it first.