Endometriosis: Diagnosis delays leave thousands of women in pain
Thousands of women are being left in excruciating pain because of delays in diagnosing the condition endometriosis, the BBC has found.
In the largest study of its kind, more than 13,500 women from across the UK have shared their experiences of a condition that affects 1.5 million.
Many said endometriosis has had a profound impact on their lives, badly affecting their education, careers, sex life and mental health, including Tamara Netherton from Christchurch, Dorset.
On average it takes more than seven years to be diagnosed, by which time symptoms and damage to the body has worsened, often leading to severe pain, fertility and pelvic problems.
Reporters: Georgia Bevan and Caroline Lewis
