A keyhole surgical procedure called a laparoscopy, during which a camera is inserted into the abdomen through a small incision, is currently the only way to reach a definitive diagnosis. During the procedure the surgeon can choose to excise, laser, or cauterise the endometrial tissue, which can alleviate symptoms in the short term. Hormone therapy, such as contraception or oestrogen suppressant injections, help slow or prevent regrowth in the long term; however, further laparoscopies are usually necessary.

The cause of the condition remains unknown, which makes it even harder to find a cure. A group of experts at Birmingham University cite lack of funding and research into the disease as the main reason for diminished quality of life for 2 million women in the UK.

Emma Cox, chief of the charity Endometriosis UK, blames a gender bias for the lack of attention given to the disease. Women are taught from puberty that painful periods are normal; thus, sufferers of endometriosis are expected to endure what many doctors mistakenly see as a severe form of period pain.

The figure of seven and a half years for diagnostic time can be partly blamed on GPs who lack knowledge of endometriosis or who confuse symptoms with other conditions. My medical history shows that over ten years I visited the GP on multiple occasions, only to be turned away with the same diagnosis of dysmenorrhea (extremely painful periods) every single time. Not one of them tried to investigate further, and I was only referred to a gynaecologist at my own suggestion when the pain became weekly, keeping me bed-ridden and forcing me to re-sit my university exams.