reproductive-age women are estimated to live with endometriosis worldwide.
Evidence & Resources
Endometriosis, adenomyosis and work
Chronic pelvic conditions can shape far more than attendance.
Endometriosis and adenomyosis may involve pain, heavy bleeding, fatigue, bowel or bladder symptoms, infertility, treatment burden and long diagnostic journeys. The work impact can begin years before a diagnosis.
Health, healthcare and work are connected.
Global evidence snapshot
Scale, context and equity matter.
of reproductive-age women are estimated to be affected by endometriosis.
is the average time to an endometriosis diagnosis reported by WHO; adenomyosis-specific global data remain limited.
What the evidence says
Start with what is established.
01
The health evidence
WHO estimates endometriosis affects about 190 million reproductive-age women worldwide.
02
The wider context
WHO reports average endometriosis diagnostic delays of roughly four to twelve years and notes that surgery is not always required before treatment begins.
03
What matters
Symptoms, treatment response and recurrence vary; adenomyosis may coexist with endometriosis and can also cause pain and heavy bleeding.
Working-life lens
The impact can appear in more than absence.
01
Capacity and participation
Impact can include absence, presenteeism, reduced hours, unpredictable capacity, financial pressure and career disruption.
02
Systems and access
Appointments, surgery, medication effects and recovery create additional demands beyond the underlying condition.
03
Trust and disclosure
Flexibility and control over working time can improve symptom management for some workers.
From evidence to practice
Support begins with a respectful, individual response.
01
Listen first
Respond to current functional impact even when diagnosis is incomplete or changing.
02
Design practical support
Discuss adjustments around hours, breaks, location, physical demands and recovery.
03
Protect dignity
Protect privacy and avoid assumptions about fertility, capability or commitment.
Women Working Well’s research purpose
What Women Working Well is seeking to understand.
Women Working Well exists to investigate the questions that remain unseen or unanswered: what is missing from the evidence, whose experiences are under-represented, and how women’s health, healthcare, working life and life beyond work connect. These topic-specific priorities help shape the Global Women and Work Study.
01
What is missing
Adenomyosis-specific workplace research is particularly limited.
02
Who is under-represented
Intervention studies are needed to identify what works across different jobs and stages of disease.
03
What research should connect
Evidence should capture life outside work, including caring, relationships and recovery.
Sources and further reading
Global evidence and authoritative guidance.
These sources support the key statements on this page. Statistics are contextual, time-bound and should be read with their source definitions. Evidence from one country, occupation or health condition should not automatically be generalised to all women.
World Health Organization — Endometriosis →Peer-reviewed Australian study — Endometriosis and workplace flexibility →Peer-reviewed Australian employer research — Endo@Work →
Important: This page provides general evidence and workplace information. It is not medical, legal or employment advice and does not replace individual clinical care or professional advice.
Keep exploring
See the connected evidence picture.
Return to the Evidence & Resources Hub or explore the Global Women and Work Study.
Evidence & Resources →