A Conceptual Exploration of Endometriosis Disclosure and its Impact of on Women’s Career Progression

Endometriosis is a debilitating disease that affects approximately ten percent of reproductive-aged women. However, its specific ramifications on women’s professional development and career trajectory remains inadequately understood. This conceptual paper explores the challenges women who disclose their endometriosis condition face in the workplace, examining the impact of disclosure on career progression. Drawing from stigma management theory and intersectionality theory, we explore how supervisors’ stereotypes and limited understanding of endometriosis contribute to negative perceptions, hindering women’s career progression. We also introduce downplaying behavior, whereby women may engage in behaviors that de-emphasize the symptoms to reduce the negative perceptions. Though this behavior may make women suffer in silence, it is proposed to circumvent challenges surrounding career progression. Our research advances discussions on gender, health, and workplace dynamics in the hopes of contributing to developing more inclusive and supportive work environments for women facing health-related challenges like endometriosis. A discussion and implications are outlined.