An ongoing inquiry is shedding light on the severe impact of endometriosis on women's careers, with an estimated one in six women leaving the workplace due to the debilitating condition. The illness, which causes tissue similar to the lining of the womb to grow outside it, leads to excruciating pain and a range of other serious health issues, often forcing women to abandon or significantly alter their professional lives.
Carla Cressy, 35, from Essex, exemplifies the challenges faced. Diagnosed with endometriosis at 25 after years of suffering, she recounted how her symptoms began at 13, leading to hospitalisations for chronic constipation and even a mistaken appendectomy. Carla, who had modelled from a young age, found herself repeatedly collapsing on shoots. Feeling 'unemployable and unreliable' due to her health, she retrained as a beauty therapist, often needing to immerse herself in hot baths between clients to manage her stomach pain. Carla recently gave evidence to the inquiry, highlighting the devastating long-term effects of untreated endometriosis, which for her resulted in a 'frozen pelvis', requiring bladder reconstruction and a total hysterectomy.
Abi Smith, 27, from Lowestoft, shares a similar experience of delayed diagnosis and severe pain. Despite struggling with pelvic pain from the age of 10, she was not diagnosed with endometriosis until she was 21. She described working in a post office, hunched over, vomiting, and frequently needing to use the toilet due to the intensity of her symptoms. Abi is currently undergoing her third medically induced menopause to manage her pain and has been rejected for disability benefits three times. She continues to work as a sales administrator, stressing the immense struggle to maintain productivity while feeling unwell.
The experiences of these women underscore a broader issue within the UK workplace. There is currently no specific legislation to ensure fair treatment for employees with menstrual health conditions who require time off work. This lack of protection, combined with long diagnostic delays—often fuelled by medical professionals dismissing symptoms as 'all in their head', a phenomenon psychotherapist Dr Sula Windgassen terms 'medical misogyny'—contributes to women feeling isolated and forced out of their jobs.
The Endometriosis Foundation, founded by Carla Cressy after her own extensive surgeries, aims to raise awareness about the condition. Carla highlighted that while she was told 10 years ago that endometriosis was rare, it is now known to be common, affecting a significant number of women. She emphasised that it is far more than 'just a period condition', leading to severe complications such as lung collapse, kidney loss, extensive surgeries, and infertility, alongside the devastating impact on careers.