FAQs: Get Your Endometriosis Questions Answered
From diagnosis delays to treatment options, find straightforward answers to the questions you have about endometriosis.
FAQs: Get Your Endometriosis Questions Answered
From diagnosis delays to treatment options, find straightforward answers to the questions you have about endometriosis.
What is endometriosis, and is it considered a menstrual disease?
Endometriosis is a systemic, inflammatory condition characterized by tissue similar to the lining of the uterus growing in other parts of the body. Endometriosis has been found in every organ. It is not simply a menstrual disease, yet is often mischaracterized as such, even by reputable sources.
Approximately how many people are affected by endometriosis, and what are some common symptoms they may experience?
Endometriosis affects approximately 1 in 10 people born with female reproductive organs. Common symptoms include, but are not limited to, pelvic pain any time during the month, a wide range of GI symptoms, urinary symptoms, fatigue, debilitating periods and more depending on where the endometriosis lesions are located in the body.
What is the average diagnostic delay for endometriosis, and what factors contribute to this delay?
Symptoms often start early in life, but due to cultural taboos, misinformation and a historical lack of emphasis in medical education, they may be ignored or misdiagnosed by caregivers, healthcare consumers and practitioners alike. The average diagnostic delay is 7-10 years.
When can endometriosis symptoms begin, and what percentage of teenagers withchronic pelvic pain may have the condition?
Endometriosis symptoms may begin as early as when puberty starts. Endometriosis symptoms can present before menstruation, during menstruation, and/or after menstruation. An estimated 70% of teens with chronic pelvic pain go on to be later diagnosed with endometriosis.
What constitutes a "red flag" regarding pelvic pain, and what action should be taken if someone experiences this?
Red flag: If you or your patient regularly feels pain during or around periods, and this pain is bad enough to interfere with usual activities, this is a red flag - it is not normal and should be investigated further as soon as possible. (If you do not have this, it doesn't mean that you don't have endometriosis).
Identified risk factors for developing endometriosis.
Risk factors for endometriosis include a mother or sister having the disease (7x increased risk), early onset of menses, short or frequent menstrual cycles, Mullerian abnormalities, autoimmune conditions and more. However, many people develop endo who have none of these risk factors.
Is a hysterectomy considered a cure for endometriosis, and is pregnancy a cure?
Hysterectomy is not a cure for endometriosis. A disease characterized by tissue found outside of the uterus is not cured by removal of the uterus, ovaries and/or tubes and cervix. Over 100,000 hysterectomies are performed each year in the United States for endometriosis and most of them are unnecessary. Neither is pregnancy a cure for endometriosis.
Why are individualized, multi-disciplinary treatment plans needed for endometriosis, and which specialist should be consulted?
People with endometriosis need an individualized, multi-disciplinary treatment plan that may include specialized, incredibly difficult surgery. Most gynecologists are not trained in advanced endometriosis cases. Drug therapy may suppress symptoms, yet it does not eradicate endometriosis. Patients should be referred to an endometriosis specialist.
What are some common co-morbidities associated with endometriosis?
People with endometriosis have an increased risk of co-morbidities including allergies, asthma, and chemical sensitivities, autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis and lupus, chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia, and certain cancers, such as ovarian and breast cancer.
How does endometriosis impact quality of life beyond physical symptoms, and what holistic approach is recommended?
Endometriosis often reduces quality of life and contributes to psychological distress. Unnecessary delays in diagnosis and gaslighting contribute to the negative mental health impacts of the disease. A holistic approach to care including mental health support can improve quality of life.
What is endometriosis, and is it considered a menstrual disease?
Endometriosis is a systemic, inflammatory condition characterized by tissue similar to the lining of the uterus growing in other parts of the body. Endometriosis has been found in every organ. It is not simply a menstrual disease, yet is often mischaracterized as such, even by reputable sources.
Approximately how many people are affected by endometriosis, and what are some common symptoms they may experience?
Endometriosis affects approximately 1 in 10 people born with female reproductive organs. Common symptoms include, but are not limited to, pelvic pain any time during the month, a wide range of GI symptoms, urinary symptoms, fatigue, debilitating periods and more depending on where the endometriosis lesions are located in the body.
What is the average diagnostic delay for endometriosis, and what factors contribute to this delay?
Symptoms often start early in life, but due to cultural taboos, misinformation and a historical lack of emphasis in medical education, they may be ignored or misdiagnosed by caregivers, healthcare consumers and practitioners alike. The average diagnostic delay is 7-10 years.
When can endometriosis symptoms begin, and what percentage of teenagers withchronic pelvic pain may have the condition?
Endometriosis symptoms may begin as early as when puberty starts. Endometriosis symptoms can present before menstruation, during menstruation, and/or after menstruation. An estimated 70% of teens with chronic pelvic pain go on to be later diagnosed with endometriosis.
What constitutes a "red flag" regarding pelvic pain, and what action should be taken if someone experiences this?
Red flag: If you or your patient regularly feels pain during or around periods, and this pain is bad enough to interfere with usual activities, this is a red flag - it is not normal and should be investigated further as soon as possible. (If you do not have this, it doesn't mean that you don't have endometriosis).
Identified risk factors for developing endometriosis.
Risk factors for endometriosis include a mother or sister having the disease (7x increased risk), early onset of menses, short or frequent menstrual cycles, Mullerian abnormalities, autoimmune conditions and more. However, many people develop endo who have none of these risk factors.
Is a hysterectomy considered a cure for endometriosis, and is pregnancy a cure?
Hysterectomy is not a cure for endometriosis. A disease characterized by tissue found outside of the uterus is not cured by removal of the uterus, ovaries and/or tubes and cervix. Over 100,000 hysterectomies are performed each year in the United States for endometriosis and most of them are unnecessary. Neither is pregnancy a cure for endometriosis.
Why are individualized, multi-disciplinary treatment plans needed for endometriosis, and which specialist should be consulted?
People with endometriosis need an individualized, multi-disciplinary treatment plan that may include specialized, incredibly difficult surgery. Most gynecologists are not trained in advanced endometriosis cases. Drug therapy may suppress symptoms, yet it does not eradicate endometriosis. Patients should be referred to an endometriosis specialist.
What are some common co-morbidities associated with endometriosis?
People with endometriosis have an increased risk of co-morbidities including allergies, asthma, and chemical sensitivities, autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis and lupus, chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia, and certain cancers, such as ovarian and breast cancer.
How does endometriosis impact quality of life beyond physical symptoms, and what holistic approach is recommended?
Endometriosis often reduces quality of life and contributes to psychological distress. Unnecessary delays in diagnosis and gaslighting contribute to the negative mental health impacts of the disease. A holistic approach to care including mental health support can improve quality of life.
Endometriosis: The Overlooked Frontier in Women’s Health Innovation
Sharing a post originally written by Dr. Luka Nićin (VC at Pace Ventures | PhD in Molecular Medicine | MBA in Biotech Strategy). Whether your motivation is compassion, easing the pain of someone you love, or even pure capitalism—we see you, and we applaud the work you’re doing to raise awareness and push for answers. Let’s keep making noise together. -Kara
"1 in 10 women. 7–10 years to diagnosis. $100B+ annual economic burden.
That’s endometriosis.
And yet it’s historically received less than 0.1% of NIH funding compared to cancer or cardiovascular disease.
Women’s pain hasn’t just been ignored — it’s been systematically underinvested in.
The opportunity?
1. Therapeutics beyond blunt hormonal tools.
2. Diagnostics that cut a decade-long delay to months.
3. Digital biomarkers that finally personalize care.
4. Fertility crossover where payers and employers are already spending.
The women’s health market isn’t niche. It’s half the population.
Endometriosis isn’t only an unmet need. It’s a generational venture opportunity hiding in plain sight.
Let’s get real.
For decades, women’s pain has been treated as background noise.
Dismissed. Normalized. Ignored.
Endometriosis is the perfect case study. It affects 1 in 10 women of reproductive age. Diagnosis takes an average of 7–10 years. Current treatments are outdated, invasive, or woefully inadequate. And yet: endometriosis research has historically received less than 0.1% of NIH funding compared to cancer or cardiovascular disease.
This isn’t just a moral failure. It’s a market failure.
Why It’s Underfunded
Bias baked into science. Women were excluded from most clinical trials until the 1990s. We’re still living with the hangover.
Symptoms dismissed. Pain, fatigue, infertility? Too often chalked up as “psychological” or “part of being a woman.” That stigma slowed research, trials, and drug approvals.
Fragmented patient voice. Endo patients don’t die quickly, they suffer chronically. Chronic suffering doesn’t mobilize lobbying dollars like mortality does.
The result: a $100B+ annual economic burden (missed work, failed fertility treatments, repeat surgeries) with barely a handful of commercial therapies in market.
Where the Opportunity Lies
Novel therapeutics. Hormone modulators and non-hormonal targets are only scratching the surface. There’s room for precision medicines, immune-modulating therapies, and gene-driven discovery.
Diagnostics. Non-invasive, early detection tools would collapse that 10-year diagnostic delay — creating the wedge for earlier intervention and better trial design.
Digital biomarkers + AI. Tracking pain patterns, symptom clusters, and treatment responses at population scale can finally personalize therapy.
Fertility crossover. Endo sits at the intersection of women’s health and reproductive medicine — a convergence where payers, employers, and governments are finally willing to spend.
Why This Is Venture-Scale
The women’s health market is not “niche.” It’s half the population.
Endometriosis alone represents a multi-hundred-billion-dollar global TAM — hidden in missed GDP, avoidable surgeries, wasted spend. As stigma collapses and capital flows (see Melinda Gates’ $100M push into women’s health research), this space will mint new category leaders.
And unlike overfunded areas where 20 startups chase the same GLP-1 or the same AI scribes, here the greenfield is wide open. The first company to deliver real, scalable relief for women’s chronic pain will not just be a unicorn — it will be a generational company.
The Bottom Line
Endometriosis is not just an unmet need. It’s among the largest overlooked commercial opportunity in healthcare.
The science is catching up. The stigma is breaking. The capital is starting to flow.
For founders: this is your moment to define the wedge. For VCs: this is your chance to be early, not late.
Women’s pain is no longer invisible. The only question is: who’s going to build the next giant by finally taking it seriously?"
Join Us: Make a Difference Today
Your support can transform lives. Every donation helps us fund research, advocate for better care, and provide essential grants to women facing debilitating conditions.
Join Us: Make a Difference Today
Your support can transform lives. Every donation helps us fund research, advocate for better care, and provide essential grants to women facing debilitating conditions.
