Factors Associated with Time to Endometriosis Diagnosis in the United States

Ahmed M Soliman, Mahesh Fuldeore, Michael C Snabes
Journal of women's health (2002) · 2017 · vol. 26(7) , pp. 788–797 · doi:10.1089/jwh.2016.6003 · PMID:28440744 · W2608693464
article OA: closed CC0 ⤵ 115 in-corpus citations
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⚙ AI-generated summary by claude@2026-06, 2026-06-08 ⓘ

This study found the average time to endometriosis diagnosis in the US is 4.4 years, with younger women and those not consulting for specific symptoms experiencing longer delays.

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Abstract

BACKGROUND: We aimed to quantify the time to diagnosis among women with endometriosis in the United States (US) and to identify patient- and physician-related factors affecting diagnostic delay. PATIENTS AND METHODS: An online cross-sectional survey was conducted from August 6, 2012, through November 14, 2012. Respondents aged 18-49 years who reported a physician's diagnosis/suspicion of endometriosis within the previous 10 years were included. Endometriosis-related symptoms and diagnostic history were captured and summarized. Univariate analyses identified factors associated with time from symptom onset to first consultation and from first consultation to diagnosis. RESULTS: Of 638 respondents included, most (56%) reported seeking care for at least one of the following symptoms: menstrual pain (31.6%), nonmenstrual pain (27.3%), and pain during sex (7.5%). Most diagnoses (84%) were made by obstetricians/gynecologists; 49% of diagnoses were surgical versus 51% nonsurgical. Mean time from symptom onset to diagnosis was 4.4 years. Mean time to first consultation was shorter among women aged 40-49 years versus those aged <18 years (14.2 vs. 43.5 months; p < 0.0001) and those consulting for symptoms versus routine/other care (27.9, 24.9, and 28.4 months for menstrual pain, nonmenstrual pain, and pain during sex, respectively, vs. 61.4 months; all p < 0.01). Mean time from first consultation to diagnosis was shorter among women aged 40-49 years versus those aged <18 years (12.4 vs. 34.5 months; p = 0.0009) and those diagnosed by obstetricians/gynecologists versus nonobstetricians/gynecologists (21.5 vs. 40.3 months; p = 0.041). CONCLUSIONS: Time to endometriosis diagnosis appears to have shortened in the US. Better patient and physician education regarding symptomatology may contribute to further gains.

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Condition tags

dysmenorrheaendometriosischronic_pelvic_pain

MeSH descriptors

Delayed Diagnosis Endometriosis Gynecology Adolescent Adult Clinical Competence Cross-Sectional Studies Delayed Diagnosis Dysmenorrhea Endometriosis Female Humans Middle Aged Pelvic Pain Physician-Patient Relations Surveys and Questionnaires Time Factors United States Young Adult

Citation neighborhood

Papers in the corpus that this work cites (lower rings, blue) and that cite this one (upper rings, green). Dot size scales with the paper's in-corpus citation count — bigger dot = more influential within the endo/adeno field. Click a dot to open that paper. [ expand to 2 hops ] — adds papers reached through this work's immediate citers/citees. Heavier; up to 60 extra dots.

References (31)

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