March is Endometriosis Action Month. And if you’re a South Asian woman in midlife, this is one of those awareness months that isn’t just informational, it’s personal. Because endometriosis doesn’t only affect teenagers and twenty-somethings. It can affect anyone with a womb from puberty through to menopause, and the impact can last far beyond that. It’s also common: Endometriosis UK estimates 1 in 10 women, and those assigned female at birth of reproductive age in the UK live with it. Yet many women spend years being told their pain is normal.
What endometriosis actually is
Endometriosis is a condition where tissue similar to the womb lining grows outside the womb. It can cause inflammation, scarring, and pain, and it can affect daily life, relationships, work, fertility, and mental health. The most frustrating part? It often takes a long time to be taken seriously.
Endometriosis UK’s recent research found the average time from first seeing a doctor about symptoms to getting a diagnosis is 8 years and 10 months in the UK. That’s nearly a decade of women being dismissed, self-managing, and doubting themselves.
Why South Asian women often suffer quietly
This is where culture matters. Many of us were raised with messages like:
- Period pain is just part of being a woman
- Don’t talk about “private” body issues
- Don’t complain
- Get on with it
- What will people say?
So we normalise things we should never have to normalise:
- Missing work because periods flatten us
- Pain during sex that we don’t feel able to speak about
- Bloating that makes us feel uncomfortable in our own bodies
- Bathroom pain we privately dread
- A deep fatigue that makes us feel lazy, when it’s actually our body under strain
Endometriosis Action Month exists to challenge one belief: Severe period pain is not a personality trait. It’s a symptom.
Symptoms that are worth your attention
Endometriosis symptoms can vary, and they can change over time. The NHS lists common symptoms like pelvic/lower tummy pain, pain during or after sex, pain when peeing or pooing, fatigue, and difficulty getting pregnant.
Signs that should make you pause and ask could it be endometriosis include:
- Painful periods that affect your ability to function day-to-day
- Pelvic pain outside your period
- Pain during/after sex
- Pain with bowel movements or peeing (especially if cyclical)
- Heavy or long periods
- Bloating that is persistent
None of these automatically means endometriosis. But if they’re recurrent, worsening, or disrupting your life, they deserve investigation.
Midlife + perimenopause: when things get confusing
Midlife is often when symptoms get brushed off as:
- Perimenopause
- Stress
- IBS
- Ageing
- Weight changes
- “just hormones”
The overlap is real. Perimenopause can bring changes in bleeding patterns, sleep, mood, and energy. And endometriosis can also involve bloating, pelvic pain, fatigue, and bowel/bladder symptoms.
So here’s a simple rule that protects you: If something is impacting your quality of life, don’t accept a shrug. Not from yourself. Not from anyone else.
Getting diagnosed: what to expect
Diagnosis can be complex because symptoms overlap with other conditions. Endometriosis UK notes delays are common and shares guidance on the diagnostic process.
In the UK, laparoscopy (keyhole surgery) may be used to confirm endometriosis, although not everyone will need surgery immediately, and many people start with symptom management first. NHS guidance describes medicines and hormone-based treatments as common first approaches to help manage symptoms.
What matters most is that you don’t have to keep proving your pain to deserve care.
How to advocate for yourself at the GP
If you’re used to minimising, this may feel uncomfortable. Do it anyway.
1) Track your symptoms for 4–6 weeks
A quick note on your phone:
- Pain level (0–10)
- Where it is
- What day of your cycle (if you still cycle)
- Bowel/bladder symptoms
- Impact on work, sleep, sex, movement
2) Use clear language. Try:
- This pain affects my ability to live normally.
- I’m worried about endometriosis and want to discuss investigation and management.
- This is not manageable with basic painkillers anymore.
3) Ask for a plan, not vague reassurance. A plan:
- What they think it could be
- What they want to rule out
- What are the next steps are
- When to come back if symptoms continue
If you feel dismissed, you’re allowed to say:
I don’t feel heard. Can we document my symptoms and agree next steps?
The mental health piece we don’t talk about enough
Living with long-term pain and being dismissed for years wears people down. Endometriosis UK has highlighted the need for psychological support alongside medical care.
If you’ve felt:
- anxious about your body
- low mood from chronic symptoms
- isolated because nobody gets it
- guilt for cancelling plans or not being “your usual self”
That’s not a weakness. That’s what happens when your body is carrying too much for too long.
What Endometriosis Action Month can look like for you
Keep it simple. One step is enough.
- If you have symptoms, book the appointment.
- If you’re waiting for diagnosis/treatment: gather support, track symptoms, don’t suffer in silence.
- If you’re a friend/sister/daughter: ask one woman you love: How are your periods really?
- If you’re a workplace leader: normalise flexibility and time off for gynaecological health (this is part of the wider Action Month push).
Endometriosis UK also uses March to encourage public and political action to improve awareness and care, which matters because systemic change is part of shortening diagnosis delays.
Gentle journaling prompts
If you want to reflect in a way that feels grounded:
- Where have I been taught to minimise my pain?
- What symptoms have I normalised that I would not want for my daughter or niece?
- What would it look like to treat my body’s pain as valid, without needing anyone’s permission?
- What support do I need in this season: medical, emotional, practical?
A closing truth for South Asian women in midlife
If you take one message from this month, let it be this: You are not meant to endure pain in silence to prove you are strong. You are meant to be supported.
Endometriosis Action Month is your invitation to stop calling debilitating symptoms normal, to trust your lived experience, and to get the care you deserve.
Discover more from THE SATTVA COLLECTIVE CIC
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
