Key facts
- One in six women with endometriosis are estimated to leave the workplace due to the condition.
- Carla Cressy, diagnosed at 25, retrained as a beauty therapist due to feeling "unemployable and unreliable" because of her health.
- Abi Smith described working in a post office while experiencing severe pain, vomiting, and frequent bathroom trips due to endometriosis.
- Dr. Sula Windgassen stated that women with endometriosis are often dismissed, leading to job loss and anxiety.
- Monica Thomas has endometriosis that has spread to her lungs, requiring surgery, and also lives with adenomyosis and other conditions.
- A study found 84% of women feel unheard by healthcare professionals.
Endometriosis, a condition where tissue similar to the womb lining grows outside the uterus, is forcing a significant number of women out of the workplace. An estimated one in six women with the illness leave their jobs due to debilitating pain and other symptoms.
Carla Cressy, who worked as a model from a young age, experienced excruciating pain and collapsed on shoots. Despite multiple hospital visits and mistaken diagnoses, she was only diagnosed with endometriosis at 25. The delayed diagnosis led to extensive internal damage, including frozen pelvis disease, requiring bladder reconstruction surgery and a hysterectomy. She now works as a beauty therapist, having retrained because she felt "unemployable and unreliable" due to her health.
Abi Smith, 27, also faced a long diagnostic journey, not being diagnosed until she was 21. She described working at a post office while suffering severe pain, vomiting, and frequent trips to the toilet. Smith is currently undergoing her third medically induced menopause to manage her pain and has faced rejections when applying for disability benefits.
Psychotherapist Dr. Sula Windgassen highlighted that women with endometriosis are often dismissed, with their symptoms attributed to being "all in their head." This dismissal can lead to job loss, isolation, and anxiety. She noted that some women experience pain so severe they can only lie down and endure it, making a normal workday impossible. Dr. Windgassen is researching "medical misogyny" and unconscious bias within healthcare, suggesting these issues lead to poorer health outcomes.
Monica Thomas, 34, is awaiting lung surgery as her endometriosis has spread, and she also lives with adenomyosis and other chronic conditions. She felt isolated and confused during her years-long diagnostic journey and now works to empower other women through her charity, Women's Health Hope, which is opening a women's health hub.