Women who have been diagnosed with endometriosis on average earn significantly less than those who are not suffering from the condition, new research conducted by the U.K.’s national statistics agency has found.
In a first-of-its-kind study, the Office for National Statistics analyzed pay and health records for more than 55,000 individuals. It established that among women aged 25 to 54, there was a “statistically significant” average decrease in monthly earnings after they received a diagnosis of endometriosis—a chronic gynecological condition that, according to the World Health Organization, affects roughly 10%, or 190 million, women and girls of reproductive age globally.
The ONS found that monthly pay initially dropped on average in the first three months post-diagnosis, then returned to pre-diagnosis levels from 4 to 12 months. But after that, pay decreased on average each year, reaching a £130 monthly reduction—equivalent to about $160— in the four to five years after the diagnosis when compared to pay two years before diagnosis.
The researchers also found that the probability of being in paid employment “statistically significantly decreased after an endometriosis diagnosis.” According to their calculations, the probability was 2.7 percentage points lower for those diagnosed with endometriosis in the four to five years post-diagnosis, compared with the two years before diagnosis.
The disease, according to the WHO, is associated with severe, life-impacting pain during periods and sexual intercourse. It can cause chronic pelvic pain, abdominal bloating, nausea, fatigue, and sometimes depression, anxiety, and infertility.
In 2024, a study of more than 17,000 women between the ages of 15 and 44 in the U.S. found that more than two-thirds of women with endometriosis missed school or work due to pain from the condition.
That study, published in the Journal of Endometriosis and Uterine Disorders, also found that Black and Hispanic women were less likely to be diagnosed with endometriosis compared with white women.