A charity is raising awareness that endometriosis can affect teenagers, challenging the common belief that it is a condition only suffered by older women. Endometriosis UK states that the condition can develop at any age once periods begin.
Grace, 14, from Yorkshire, experienced excruciating pain around the time of her menstruation from the age of 13. She was repeatedly told by doctors that she was too young to have endometriosis, an incurable condition where tissue similar to the womb lining grows outside it.
Grace eventually received a diagnosis after her family sought a second private opinion. She describes her pain as like "heated barbed wire" around her abdomen and has often required hospitalisation for strong painkillers, including morphine.
According to NHS data, about 10% of women are affected by endometriosis, which can cause debilitating symptoms such as pelvic pain, heavy periods and fatigue. The charity Endometriosis UK notes that diagnosis can take an average of nine years in older women.
Paediatric gynaecologist Dr Gail Busby states that while nearly 80% of adolescents have painful periods, clinicians should recognise when symptoms are not normal, such as missing school or social activities. Dr Busby, who sees girls younger and older than Grace, says Grace's case is not unusual.
Faye Farthing, a spokesperson for Endometriosis UK, emphasised the need for improved menstrual health education for young people by the government, NHS, and health practitioners. Grace hopes that by sharing her story, more teenagers will feel confident to pursue a diagnosis.