{"paper_id":"76126f28-72dc-4f05-862e-494a1c15d417","body_text":"Beyond Diagnostic Delay in Endometriosis: Consequences for Women’s Quality of Life and Opportunities for Earlier Detection\nDOI:\nhttps://doi.org/10.12775/QS.2026.67.74230Keywords\nEndometriosis, Diagnostic delay, time to diagnosis, Early detectionAbstract\nBackground: Endometriosis is a chronic estrogen-dependent disorder affecting approximately 10% of individuals assigned female at birth worldwide. Despite its prevalence, diagnosis is typically delayed by 4–12 years.\nObjectives: To identify the causes of diagnostic delay, assess its consequences, and summarize strategies for earlier diagnosis.\nMethods: A literature review of studies published through 2025 was conducted using PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE, and PsycINFO. Eligible studies reported diagnostic timelines in physician-confirmed endometriosis.\nResults: The average diagnostic delay was approximately 6.8 years. Major contributing factors included normalization of menstrual pain, limited physician awareness, symptom misattribution, and historical reliance on laparoscopy. Delayed diagnosis increases the risk of disease progression, chronic pain, reduced quality of life, and socioeconomic burden.\nConclusions: Earlier diagnosis requires greater reliance on clinical assessment, expert ultrasound or MRI, improved primary care education, and validation of emerging biomarkers to facilitate timely referral and treatment.\nReferences\n1. Koninckx PR, Fernandes R, Ussia A, Schindler L, Wattiez A, Al-Suwaidi S, et al. Pathogenesis\nBased Diagnosis and Treatment of Endometriosis. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne).\n2021;12:745548. doi:10.3389/fendo.2021.745548.\n2. Sims OT, Gupta J, Missmer SA, Aninye IO. Stigma and Endometriosis: A Brief Overview and\nRecommendations to Improve Psychosocial Well-Being and Diagnostic Delay. Int J Environ Res\nPublic Health. 2021;18(15):8210. doi:10.3390/ijerph18158210.\n3. 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Int J Environ Res\nPublic Health. 2022;19(11):6725. doi:10.3390/ijerph19116725.\nDownloads\nPublished\nHow to Cite\nIssue\nSection\nLicense\nCopyright (c) 2026 Weronika Wrzosek, Mateusz Zugaj, Jakub Skrzypek, Natalia Fidut, Karol Szyprowski, Kamila Zioło, Weronika Zarzycka, Maciej Kisielewski, Martyna Grzywacz, Bartosz Okliński\nThis work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.\nStats\nNumber of views and downloads: 65\nNumber of citations: 0","source_license":"CC0","license_restricted":false}