The search for a cause: women's experiences of pelvic pain prior to receiving a diagnosis of endometriosis

Background: Many women seek medical help for what is broadly defined as 'chronic pelvic pain', with a prevalence rate of 24% in Primary Care (1). A frequent cause of this pain is endometriosis, with a 10% prevalence rate in women of reproductive age (2). The diagnostic delay for this condition is reported to be between 6–9 years (3). Little is known, however, about why the diagnosis of this condition takes so long and how this affects women's experiences of the condition. Aims: To investigate the reasons for a delayed diagnosis of endometriosis and examine the impact of this on women's experiences. Method: A qua…