Women with endometriosis are being forced out of work, losing income and facing significant financial hardship because of the condition, according to a new report by MPs.
The inquiry by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Endometriosis, supported by Endometriosis UK, found 47% of women with the condition had lost income because of their symptoms, while 28% had left a job altogether.
Among them was Chloe Ward, from Bolton, who said her endometriosis – which can cause severe pain, fatigue, heavy bleeding and fertility problems – had cost her thousands of pounds and affected her ability to run her own business.
She said: “A lot of people think it’s just a bad period, but it’s so much worse.”
About one in 10 women suffer from the condition, but diagnosis can be a lengthy process.
Chloe said it took seven years for her to be diagnosed.
She said being self-employed in the beauty industry meant she had flexibility, but no financial safety net.
“If I’m not there to do the treatments, nobody pays me,” she said.
She told Radio Manchester she had lost clients over the years because flare-ups could leave her unable to work at short notice.