Why it matters: March is Endometriosis Action Month, and the timing could not be more pointed. Endometriosis affects around one in ten women, comparable to the number affected by diabetes.
Despite this, the average time for diagnosis in the UK now stands at nine years and four months, rising from eight years in 2020. The condition occurs when tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows elsewhere in the body, causing inflammation, pain and a wide range of other symptoms.
The details: Suffolk resident, Evie Lapworth, waited nine years for her diagnosis. She now speaks openly about endometriosis to help others feel less alone and more confident in seeking answers.
"Endometriosis is a whole-body disease which can affect every organ in your body," she says. "Every time this topic is discussed, more women come forward – it shows how many women are still struggling to be heard by doctors as well as by family and friends."
What they're saying: For Evie, the next step lies in improving how women's healthcare is delivered locally, particularly through Women's Health Hubs, which aim to bring services together and help women access specialist support more quickly.
"Women know their own bodies," she says. "When something isn't right, they shouldn't have to wait nearly a decade to be taken seriously."
Suffolk currently has no endometriosis specialists, leaving women reliant on general gynaecologists or forced to travel to Colchester or Addenbrooke's for specialist care. Women's Health Hubs, discussed nationally as a way to bring services together, could help address that gap, but many areas are still waiting to see them implemented. Evie believes Suffolk should be one of the first.
Not an isolated story: Evie's experience is not unique. In the past 18 months, Ipswich.co.uk has reported on a growing number of similar cases across Suffolk – each echoing the same themes of delayed diagnosis, dismissal, and a lack of local specialist support.
Earlier this year, we reported on Faye Ramsey, a 31-year-old teaching assistant from Ipswich who waited more than a decade for her diagnosis – endometriosis so severe it caused her to lose consciousness. She made 76 phone calls in a single week trying to reach her consultant, and a referral to the specialist endometriosis centre at Colchester Hospital was delayed by more than three months due to an administrative backlog. Forty women from across the country have since shared their stories with her.
The pattern is consistent: women told their pain is "just IBS" or "in their head"; diagnoses delayed by years; specialist care only accessible by travelling out of county. Suffolk has no dedicated endometriosis specialists of its own.
What's on: Suffolk's own festival-style women's health event, Let's Talk Women's Health, returns to The Hold in Ipswich on Saturday, 21 March – and this year's event is shaping up to be bigger than ever.
Now in its second year, the full-day event was created by women, for women, and brings together healthcare professionals and industry experts for sessions covering endometriosis, menopause, breast cancer, contraception, pregnancy, nutrition, egg freezing, neurodiversity and more. Its relaxed, festival-style format lets attendees pick and choose from a range of sessions throughout the day.
The 2026 event is sponsored by Nuffield Health Ipswich Hospital, Active Suffolk – This Girl Can, and Mediterranean Shipping Company (UK) Ltd. Sponsors and exhibitors have no input into the content of the event, which is run on a not-for-profit basis.
Tickets are available now at letstalkwomenshealth.com. The Hold is located at 131 Fore Street, Ipswich, IP4 1LN.
The bottom line: Endometriosis affects millions of women across the UK, yet awareness, diagnosis and specialist support remain inconsistent across the country. Evie believes meaningful change needs communities willing to lead, and Suffolk, she says, could be one of them.
