5 Key Takeaways

• 1

  Patients often experience severe menstrual pain and abnormal bleeding from adolescence, but symptoms are frequently normalized by families and physicians.

• 2

  Misdiagnosis of endometriosis is common, with symptoms often mistaken for irritable bowel syndrome, anxiety, or depression, leading to years of untreated symptoms.

• 3

  Patients reported delays in diagnosis due to the need for referrals from primary care physicians, with an average delay of 36 months before specialist access.

• 4

  The review identified emotional consequences of symptom dismissal, including feelings of isolation and doubt about the legitimacy of their pain.

• 5

  Systemic barriers, such as limited clinician awareness and inconsistent diagnostic pathways, contribute to diagnostic delays in endometriosis.