Arabic version: تشخيص إصابة مراهقة ببطانة الرحم المهاجرة بعد سنوات من الألم الشديد

According to BBC News, Grace, a 14-year-old from Yorkshire, was repeatedly told she was too young to have endometriosis after experiencing severe menstrual pain from the age of 13. She says doctors offered explanations including irritable bowel syndrome, a cyst, anxiety and “just a bad period”.

Grace says the pain can leave her bedbound and describes it as “heated barbed wire” around her abdomen. Her parents sometimes have to carry her to the car to take her to hospital, where she has regularly been given morphine. She has also received co-codamol and tramadol, and says she is worried about relying on strong drugs for the rest of her life.

Her GP and the first private consultant she saw did not diagnose endometriosis. Grace received a diagnosis only after her family sought a second private opinion. Endometriosis occurs when tissue similar to the womb lining grows outside it and can cause pelvic pain, heavy periods and fatigue. NHS data says about 10% of women are affected.

Paediatric gynaecologist Dr Gail Busby said painful periods are common among adolescents, but clinicians should identify symptoms that are not normal, including missing school, PE or time with friends. She said Grace’s symptoms at 13 were not unusual and that the impact can extend to anxiety or depression during an important stage of educational, emotional and social development.

Grace has since undergone a laparoscopy to remove endometriosis and has been advised to use a hormonal contraceptive to slow monthly tissue growth and reduce pain. She hopes speaking publicly will encourage other teenagers to seek a diagnosis, saying: “You know your body best and your pain is real.”