The statistics have spoken. There’s a clear disparity in how people of colour are treated by healthcare professionals and it needs to be fixed.
This is Endometriosis recently won the 2026 BAFTA award for the Best British Short Film. It documents its director Georgie Wileman’s struggle with the illness.
Watching Georgie claim the trophy felt personal, as I too was diagnosed with endometriosis, back in 2022.
Endometriosis is a chronic condition whereby cells like those found in the lining of the womb are found elsewhere in the body, causing inflammation and severe pain.
I suspected I had endometriosis for around a decade prior to being diagnosed. Which, statistically, is bang on time.
According to Endometriosis UK’s 2026 report in collaboration with charity Cysters, the average time to receive a diagnosis from the first GP visit to being diagnosed is nine years and four months.
In the UK, endometriosis affects one in 10 women and those assigned female at birth, so it’s shocking that the diagnosis time is still that long. Women are suffering every day with this chronic condition and it affects far more than just physical health.
The documentary, I hope, will increase awareness about the condition. To be honest, I hadn’t really heard about endometriosis until I started doing my own research about my painful symptoms while I was at school, after years spent being told to suck it up and take over-the-counter painkillers.
What’s even more devastating, is learning that women of colour are disproportionately affected by endometriosis and that the healthcare system is failing them, too.
Read more: Why does endometriosis take over nine years to diagnose?
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Why does it take women of colour longer to get diagnosed?
Shockingly, data shows that women of colour taken longer to be diagnosed with endometriosis than white women. For POC patients, it takes 11 years on average from their first GP visit to being diagnosed.
Beyond this, Dr Ravina Bhanot a women’s health GP and founder of The One Fertility, says there can be limiting factors that might deter people of colour from coming forward to healthcare professionals.
These include a potential language barrier and, for some, a lack of education about women’s health. She also explains there can be some sensitivity around major endometriosis symptoms.
“Many ethnic minority women prefer not to admit that sex is very painful, given the sensitivity of the subject, although this is a red flag symptom of endometriosis,” says Dr Ravina. And even when women of colour approach healthcare professionals, they face another barrier.
“Pain is underestimated and as a result can be undertreated in women of colour, too.” Yes, you read that correctly. Studies show that there is a disparity in how POCs find their pain is identified and treated.
Read more: Why endometriosis symptoms could be costing women
Endometriosis and fertility in women of colour
Being diagnosed with a condition known to limit or make fertility difficult can be an additional challenge for women of colour.
On top of the burden of chronic pain, fatigue and the impact on their quality of life, many women of colour can deal with a deeper layer of trauma as a result.
“In many South Asian, African and Middle Eastern communities, womanhood is strongly tied to the ability to conceive and the number of children conceived,” Dr Ravina explains.
While endometriosis doesn’t cause infertility, it can be associated with fertility issues.
This potential impact on fertility can have profound effect on the mental health and self-worth of women of colour, beyond the physical pain.
“Fertility issues alone carry their own silence and are thought to be a taboo topic,” Dr Ravina says, further amplifying that many women of colour continue to suffer in silence.
Read more: These celebrities have been open about their struggles with endometriosis
How to improve endometriosis diagnosis disparities
So, what’s the solution to these systemic problems? The healthcare system is overstretched as it is. At the start of 2026, around 750,000 women were still awaiting gynaecological care.
Dr Ravina believes there’s room to improve and a lot of it comes down to education.
“Healthcare professionals may have [unconscious bias] towards people of colour,” she says, adding that there also needs to be more education on how endometriosis may present differently in ethnic minorities.
The 2026 report from Endometriosis UK does provide some hope. It states: “GPs mentioned they suspected endometriosis in their first two appointments for 14% of respondents, up from 10% in both 2023 and 2020.”
It’s a small step in the right direction, but we still have a long way to go.
Feature image: Pexels
