Endometriosis support
Endometriosis can be a painful and disruptive condition, affecting around 10% of women†. Yet many sufferers report an all-round lack of understanding and support
What is endometriosis?
Endometriosis happens when tissue similar to the lining of your womb grows in other areas, usually the ovaries, fallopian tubes and/or bowel. It thickens and bleeds during your period, often causing pelvic pain. Complications can include inflammation, adhesions, ovarian cysts, bowel problems and infertility. Endometriosis can affect you from puberty until menopause.
An endometriosis specialist explores symptoms and treatments, and offers advice
Over half of people in the UK don’t know what endometriosis is.‡ If you think you might have endometriosis, or you’ve just had a diagnosis - or if you care about someone who’s struggling - it can be hard to know where to turn.
So in this video we spoke to Mr Christopher Mann, consultant gynaecological oncologist and laparoscopic surgeon, about the symptoms of endometriosis and the steps to getting a diagnosis. We also asked about treatments and the best ways to support someone with endometriosis.
Endometriosis matters, it matters to millions of people and their families. It can be extremely painful and affect your quality of life or you could have no symptoms at all.
For many, it is a hidden mystery illness. That is why we have spoken to an endometriosis expert to get you the answers you need.
Endometriosis is a condition whereby cells that are very similar to the lining of the womb called endometrium are found outside of the womb.
We think it affects about one point five million women in the U.K., so approximately 10 percent of the adult female population.
We tend to think of five sets of symptoms. So the first is, do they have very, very painful periods? And I do not mean periods where the pain will be resolved by one or two paracetamol.
The next symptom is do they have pain with intercourse? Typically, this is pain deep within the pelvis, it is at the time of intercourse but it can also be afterwards and it can last from a few hours to up to two or three days.
Does she have pain when she is opening her bowels? This typically is related to the time of the month when they are having a period, but it can also occur leading up to the periods and it can occur around ovulation or even at random between periods.
Are they having pain when they are passing urine? So are they going more frequently? Do they feel like they have got a urinary tract infection even though when they go to the GP's, a dipstick analysis of the urine shows that there is nothing in there; and finally, do they have pelvic pain throughout the month? Do they have pain not when they are on their periods, not when they are going to the toilet, not when they are having intercourse but just throughout the month.
Do they have pelvic pain, do they have bloating, do they have profound fatigue?
As you can imagine, all of these things collectively can have a huge impact, so they can affect their ability to hold down a normal work pattern.
The impact of endometriosis on personal relationships can be extremely profound and this can relate to a number of things.
First and foremost, patients often find it either extremely difficult or impossible to have an intimate relationship with their partner, it is inevitably going to have a negative impact on somebody's mental health and up to 80 plus percent of patients will describe that.
I think it is fairly well established now that it takes around, on average eight years from the onset of symptoms to actually achieving a diagnosis, which from a medical perspective is a huge period of time. Why does it take so long? Well, the symptoms that a patient can exhibit are very, very variable between patients.
Very, very rarely do you get two patients who are just the same and it is important to remember that when you are dealing with endometriosis.
So in order to achieve a diagnosis of endometriosis the gold standard is something called a laparoscopy.
So this is keyhole surgery and it involves the patients coming to hospital either as a day case, sometimes overnight.
They are put to sleep under general anaesthetic and then a small incision is made in the umbilicus or the navel or belly button and that allows the Gynaecologist to look everywhere from the diaphragm down to the pelvic floor and really check to see if there is any endometriosis present.
So as you can imagine, if a patient turns up at the General Practitioner's office, it can be really very difficult for a GP to say, well you have got endometriosis and this is how we are going to manage it.
We are frequently asked, are there any treatments available for endometriosis and the answer is yes, definitely.
I would say that the gold standard treatment is surgical for those patients who are able to undergo surgery and ideally should involve excision or removal of the endometriosis.
If a patient is not able to undergo surgery or is not willing to or can not do or wants to defer it for a period of time there are some medications that can help with the symptoms but it is really important to realise that they do not actually get rid of the underlying condition. So we would typically start with the really simple analgesia regiments such as Ibuprofen or Brufen, Naproxen in combination with Paracetamol.
Now patients may find that that is helpful, they may find that actually it really does not do anything but just take the edge off at the most. So then you are looking at the stronger drugs, so the Codeine based drugs such as Co-Codamol.
The second branch of medicine that could be used to sometimes control the symptoms is hormonal control, so this would involve typically using the combined oral contraceptive pill in a continuous fashion.
How can we make the lives of patients with endometriosis better? Well, I think first of all, we need to be able to talk about it.
Yes, it is a gynaecological condition and yes a lot of people still find it embarrassing or difficult to talk about gynaecological issues.
However, the more we talk about it, the more we get used to it, the more people will understand it, they will accept it and this will help in the management of the diagnosis of endometriosis.
By talking about endometriosis, we can help it feel a little less hidden. Explore more about endometriosis on our Women's Health Hub at bupa.co.uk/womens-health. Because endometriosis matters.
Not everyone gets the endometriosis support they need.
We’re here to make a difference.
Getting a diagnosis and help for endometriosis can be challenging. On average, it takes 8 years to get a diagnosis. Before that, 58% of sufferers will visit their GP at least 10 times, and over a quarter will go to A&E with severe symptoms.
These findings come from the All Party Parliamentary Group on Endometriosis’ Inquiry Report 2020 (PDF 1.7MB) , which also found that:
95%
of those with endometriosis say it has a negative impact on their wellbeing
89%
of endometriosis sufferers say it leaves them feeling isolated
38%
are concerned about losing their job because of the effects of endometriosis
35%
say they’re earning less than they would if they didn’t have endometriosis
How much do you know about endometriosis?
Endometriosis can be tricky to understand because the symptoms can vary widely, from unnoticeable to severe. They can also get confused with other conditions. Our endometriosis quiz will test your knowledge and could help you learn more.
Serious pain with endometriosis
Natalie works here at Bupa. Her endometriosis caused her a lot of pain, and it affected how she felt about herself. But getting the right treatment transformed her life.
A GP who has endometriosis
Sophie, a GP, talks honestly and openly about the impact of endometriosis on her own life as well as how she deals with her patients. She describes the symptoms and treatments she’s had since she was 13.

Endometriosis and infertility
Endometriosis is a known cause of infertility. Yet many women with endometriosis struggle to get a referral for infertility treatment.†
The good news is that seven in 10 women with mild to moderate endometriosis will get pregnant without needing treatment.†† But overall, if you’re under the age of 35 and you have endometriosis, you’re twice as likely to have problems getting pregnant.†
If you do need fertility treatment, there are several options.††† These can depend on the stage of your endometriosis, your age, and how long you’ve been trying to get pregnant.
How to cope with an endometriosis flare-up
An endometriosis flare-up is when your symptoms suddenly worsen for a period of time. How often flare-ups occur, and how long they last, will vary according to each person. The symptoms of an endometriosis flare-up often include excruciating pain, which can be quite widespread. For example, the pain can be throughout the pelvic area but can also be in the back, legs and chest. A flare-up can also mean excessive bleeding.
Our experts have put together a handy infographic with six tips on how to look after yourself when an endometriosis flare-up occurs.
Heat
Use a heating pad. A hot water bottle or warm bath can help to relieve tummy, lower back or leg pain.
Rest
Don’t just try and ‘power through’ if you’re experiencing chronic pain, fatigue and brain fog. Allow yourself time to rest.
Medication
If you're struggling with pain or other symptoms, speak to a GP or pharmacist. Medication could be available to help.
Stress
Actively managing stress can help us cope better with symptoms such as pain. Practice mindfulness, meditate or try yoga to help you stay calm.
Honesty
Be honest with yourself and others. Don’t force yourself to stick to plans or continue to work if you feel unwell. Let people know how you're feeling, if you feel comfortable doing that.
Track
Record your flare-ups, symptoms and treatments in a diary (see below). This can help track what does and doesn’t work, which can help when you talk to health professionals.
Our endometriosis symptoms diary
could help you talk to your doctor
Diagnosing endometriosis isn’t always straightforward. Our endometriosis diary could help you track your symptoms, and that could help you talk to your GP or consultant about what you noticed, when, and for how long
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How to support someone with endometriosis
If someone you care about has endometriosis, it can be really difficult to watch them struggle with the symptoms and effects. You may find it hard to understand what’s going on, let alone know how best to help. Our guide may help
Can Bupa help me with my endometriosis?
We understand how difficult it can be to get a diagnosis and treatment for endometriosis, so we’re committed to making a difference. Below, you’ll see what your options and first steps could be, depending on whether you have health insurance or not. Our FAQs, further down, offer more detail on some of the treatments we could offer.
I’m already a Bupa health insurance customer
We cover the diagnosis of endometriosis, as well as treatments for acute symptoms and flare-ups (except for drug therapies). Start by asking for a referral: talk to your registered GP or use the Digital GP service‡‡ (provided by Babylon) or get a referral from another digital GP service. Once you’ve got your pre-authorisation code, use Bupa Finder to locate an endometriosis specialist near you. The FAQs below offer more about potential treatments.
If you’re struggling with your symptoms, you can talk to a nurse 24/7 via our Bupa Anytime HealthLine, or talk to a doctor using Digital GP. If you have any further questions, simply call us:
0345 609 0111^
1. Pre-existing conditions are not covered.
I don’t have Bupa health insurance
We want to help everyone, whether you have insurance with us or not. That’s why everyone’s welcome to the expert advice we offer on this page. There’s a particularly helpful video at the top of this page, and a series of articles below. We’ve also signposted you to other organisations which provide support.
If you’d still like our help with diagnosis and/or treatment, you can simply pay as you go.
Endometriosis support and information from Bupa’s experts

Gynaecological laparoscopy
Diagnosing and treating endometriosis can involve looking inside your lower tummy using keyhole surgery.

Is endometriosis affecting your mental health?
Our mental health hub could help if you’re struggling with the symptoms, treatment or impact of endometriosis.

Endometriosis and painful periods
Period pain can be far worse if you have endometriosis, and it can stop you getting on with your normal life.

Endometriosis and ovarian cysts
Endometriosis can trigger ovarian cysts. Usually they don’t cause any problems, but sometimes they need to be surgically removed
Other online resources offering endometriosis information and support
We understand that endometriosis is a particularly challenging condition, and it can be hard to get the information and help you need. So here are some websites that could help.
The UK’s leading charity on endometriosis, offering information and support groups, a helpline and an online community.
The NHS website offers a straightforward overview of the causes, symptoms, treatments and complications of endometriosis.
Endometriosis in the UK: time for change (PDF 1.7MB)
A very supportive report from the All Party Parliamentary Group on Endometriosis, which calls for change.
Yes. We can cover the cost of tests, to see if you have endometriosis, as well as some treatments. There is no known cure for endometriosis, so it’s classed as a 'chronic’ (ongoing) condition and we can’t cover treatment for the underlying condition. However, we can cover any eligible treatments for acute flare-ups of a chronic condition such as endometriosis.
So if your symptoms suddenly worsen, we could fund endometriosis treatments such as:
- a short course of hormone therapy, such as a coil, administered by your consultant
- endometrial ablation, which is the removal of the lining of your womb
- surgery on your ovaries, if endometriosis has caused cysts that need removing
- a hysterectomy if other treatments haven’t been successful.
This would be on the condition that the treatment/s are likely to lead to a complete recovery quickly, or to your being fully restored to your previous state of health without having to receive prolonged treatment.
Any tests, appointments and treatments must be in line with what your doctor or consultant recommends, and within your policy limits. Please note that the above treatments are not suitable if you’re trying to get pregnant: in that case, only pain medication is open to you.
Also, please note pre-existing conditions are not covered.
- If you have a personal policy, the answer is no. Infertility treatment is excluded from your cover (see exclusion 5 in your policy documents or membership guide).
- If your employer provides your cover, then check your policy or ask at work, as some businesses do choose to include cover for infertility treatment.
Yes, as long as your policy covers mental health conditions. We could refer you to a consultant or therapist, for example.
You could start exploring your options by:
- talking to a Bupa nurse 24/7 via our Bupa Anytime HealthLine
- talking to your registered GP (you could also do this by phone or video using the Digital GP service provided by Babylon‡‡ or another digital GP service)
- calling us on 0808 256 1766.^
^ Calls may be recorded, and to maintain the quality of our service we may monitor some of our calls, always respecting the confidentiality of the call.
Please note, pre-existing conditions are not covered.
Endometriosis is linked to your monthly menstrual cycle, so it tends to settle after menopause. Women who experience mild endometriosis symptoms can usually manage with painkillers and self-help, such as rest and a hot water bottle. However, infertility is still a possibility.
For those with more advanced stages of endometriosis, untreated endometriosis could mean severe pelvic pain, very heavy periods, abdominal adhesions, ovarian cysts, and infertility. In extreme cases, it is possible to develop an ectopic pregnancy or a bowel obstruction, both of which could be life-threatening‡‡‡ .
Yes. You can:
- access the expert advice and support in our Women’s Health Hub
- purchase our Bupa Menopause Plan. This includes two virtual appointments, prescriptions or referrals (if required), and a personal care plan from a GP who’s been specially trained in the menopause.
And if you have private health insurance, you can additionally:
- make an appointment with the Digital GP service (provided by Babylon) to talk about your symptoms.‡‡
- call our Bupa Anytime Healthline to speak to a menopause-trained nurse, 24/7.
- get mental health support for any symptoms related to the menopause.
† Endometriosis in the UK: time for change (PDF 1.7MB) − A report from the All Party Parliamentary Group on Endometriosis.
†† Tommy’s
††† Please note that infertility treatment is not covered by private health insurance.
‡‡ Members who live in the Isle of Man can access GP24 by HealthHero instead. Digital GP services are provided by Babylon Healthcare Services Limited. Registered in England and Wales No. 09229684. Registered office: 60 Sloane Avenue, London SW3 3DD. Digital GP is not regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority or the Prudential Regulation Authority.
^ Lines are open 8am - 8pm Monday to Friday, 8am-4pm Saturdays. We may record or monitor our calls.