Endometriosis Forces Women to Leave Jobs, Advocates Call for Change

Charlotte Samphire, who has stage 4 endometriosis, was forced to leave her job because the symptoms were too severe to manage. Samphire, along with Hull charity Hey Endo!, is hoping improvements will soon be made after a government report found the condition is having a significant impact on women's finances and careers.

Endometriosis is a chronic condition in which cells that are similar to the lining of the womb grow in other parts of the body. It can take an average of nine years to get a diagnosis from the onset of symptoms and it affects 1.5 million people in the UK.

The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Endometriosis recently published a report on the condition in the workplace, commissioned and funded by Endometriosis UK. Kirsteen Sullivan MP, who is chairwoman of that group and also has endometriosis, said she wanted the government to introduce a national framework for women in the workplace.

Samphire said she struggled to manage her endometriosis while working in a salon. She believes the government should make it mandatory for employers to be educated on all conditions, whether they're visible or invisible, and the steps and support that they can take to help their employees.

Helen Wilkinson, co-founder of Hey Endo!, said she went through 17 jobs in 14 years because of her symptoms. She said some employers have been supportive, but in other workplaces the understanding simply wasn't there.

Ashleigh Hirst, also a co-founder of Hey Endo!, said her diagnosis at the age of 25 was a "big wake-up call". She said the charity would like the government to speak to local charities like theirs if a new national framework on endometriosis is developed.

A government spokesperson said the government's Renewed Women's Health Strategy identifies endometriosis as a priority condition and states its commitment to improve the treatment and ongoing care for every woman affected.