Endometriosis & Adenomyosis: The Misdiagnosed Mystery That Took a Decade to Solve!

Ladies, if you’ve ever been told your debilitating period pain is “just normal,” buckle up because science has news for you — it's not! Welcome to the world of endometriosis and adenomyosis, two medical conditions that have been so misunderstood in low and middle-income countries that they might as well have been classified as an unsolved mystery on a crime show. But finally, India and Sri Lanka have decided to crack the case.

In India, getting diagnosed with endometriosis is like waiting for your favorite web series’ next season — except it takes 5 to 11 years (and comes with way more pain). Here's a story from The Indian Express. Take Swapnali from Pune, for instance. She started experiencing crippling menstrual cramps and irregular periods at 17, but what did she get? Iron and vitamin supplements! Because, of course, nothing screams “endometriosis” like popping some multivitamins and hoping for the best.

Fast forward a decade — yes, a decade — and she’s struggling with infertility. Turns out, she had severe endometriosis all along. Talk about a plot twist no one wanted!

Then there’s the 34-year-old woman from rural West Bengal who walked into a clinic with symptoms and was told she had ovarian cancer. (Spoiler: She did not.) Thankfully, she made it to a Mumbai hospital, where doctors finally diagnosed her correctly and treated her with laparoscopic surgery.

With misdiagnosis being the tragic running theme here, researchers from India and Sri Lanka have finally come together to create a strategic roadmap for better diagnosis and treatment of these conditions. A workshop in Colombo resulted in a health policy publication in The Lancet Regional Health – South East Asia, which is basically the Avengers assembling for endometriosis awareness.

Dr. Hrishikesh Munshi, a scientist at ICMR-NIRRCH, Mumbai, says this research will shape the future of diagnosis and treatment. Meanwhile, Dr. Rahul Gajbhiye, a scientist at the Indian Council of Medical Research, warns that endometriosis is often linked to autoimmune disorders, making early diagnosis all the more crucial. He’s advocating for multidisciplinary centers where women can get the right diagnosis before they hit retirement age.

Moral of the Story? Trust Your Pain, Not Your Multivitamins.

Ladies, if your doctor insists your pain is “just a bad period,” do yourself a favor — get a second opinion. Or a third. Or as many as it takes until someone listens. Because waiting over a decade to find out what’s actually wrong isn’t just frustrating, it’s unacceptable.

And until healthcare catches up, maybe we should start carrying banners that say “Believe Women’s Pain” — or at least print it on doctors’ prescription pads.