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UK inquiry finds nearly half of women with endometriosis lost income
BBC News reported that an All-Party Parliamentary Group inquiry found 47% of surveyed women with endometriosis had lost income, with personal accounts of job loss.
- New headline Was: “I lost my job in a primary school due to endometriosis”
- Our desk filed its story
A U.K. All-Party Parliamentary Group inquiry found that nearly half of women surveyed about endometriosis had lost income because of the condition, and more than a quarter had left a job, BBC News reported1.
The APPG on Endometriosis inquiry, as described by BBC, interviewed more than 6,000 women and surveyed 250 employers1. BBC said 97% of the women had worked while in severe pain, 47% had lost income, 28% had left a job, 94% thought employers lacked a good understanding of endometriosis, and half received no workplace adjustments1. Of employers surveyed, 72% said their organization gives no training or guidance on women’s health, according to BBC1.
Endometriosis is a condition in which tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows outside it, affecting about one in 10 women, BBC said1.
BBC’s account centered on Hayley Locksley of Shefford, Bedfordshire, who was diagnosed at 24 and lost a special-needs teaching assistant job at a primary school last October after being placed under review for sickness absence and told she was unfit to work1. She previously left nursery work after surgery and later office work, BBC reported1.
Surgeon Rebecca Mallick told BBC the figures were shocking but not surprising and that awareness now needs to be followed by action1. Carla Cressy, who runs The Endometriosis Foundation and gave evidence to the inquiry, and Faye Ramsey, founder of Girls Anatomy, also described job loss, reduced hours and pressure to attend work while unwell, according to BBC1.
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said the condition can have a devastating impact and that the findings highlight the need for better support in healthcare and the workplace, BBC reported1. Matthew Percival of the Confederation of British Industry said businesses are increasingly aware of women’s health issues and want to support women without holding back careers, according to BBC1. The government said it is working with employers to improve awareness, BBC reported1.
The APPG report itself, published earlier in October, noted that its employee and employer surveys were self-selecting and not representative of all patients or U.K. employers. BBC did not detail that caveat1. This is not medical advice.