THOUSANDS of women are being left in pain and without answers because severe period symptoms are still not being taken seriously by healthcare professionals, a campaigner has warned.
Kate Fry, who founded the support group Endometriosis Jersey, is calling for urgent changes to how the Island diagnoses, treats, and supports people with gynaecological conditions.
Pictured: Endometriosis affects one in ten women and occurs when tissue similar to the lining of the womb grows elsewhere in the body.
“If someone is saying that they are on the floor during their period, that is not normal,” she said. “It doesn’t mean that they have a low pain threshold or that they’re wimps. It means something is wrong.”
She is calling for better training for GPs, shorter waiting times for diagnostic tests, specialist referrals – including to UK clinics – for treatment, and better support in the workplace for those with reproductive conditions.
Her comments come ahead of a documentary screening next week at Jersey Arts Centre.
Below the Belt, which follows the experiences of four women living with endometriosis, will be shown on Monday 17 June and followed by a panel discussion with women’s health experts, campaigners, and politicians.
Endometriosis affects one in ten women and occurs when tissue similar to the lining of the womb grows elsewhere in the body.
Mrs Fry first experienced symptoms at the age of 14, when she would vomit and faint during her period from the pain while also being told her symptoms were “all in her head.”
While she waited five years for a diagnosis, she considers herself “one of the lucky ones” – with some members of her support group having waited 30 years for answers.
Her call for reform comes just months after the publication of the government’s Women’s Health and Wellbeing Assessment, which identified a series of failings in gynaecological care and support in Jersey.
Based on input from more than 1,600 women, the report identified long delays, lack of specialist knowledge, and limited access to expert services.
The report read: “Respondents shared challenges with conditions like endometriosis and PCOS, highlighting delays in diagnosis, lack of specialist knowledge, and inadequate support.”
It continued: “Concerns included ignorance around menstrual health and its impact, as well as systemic issues such as reliance on GPs and limited access to knowledgeable professionals.”
It also warned that “societal and cultural biases” were compounding the problem, with women facing “dismissive attitudes, systemic barriers, and the stigmatisation of reproductive health issues.”
“These challenges left women feeling unsupported and underserved,” the report read.
“Females also discussed not feeling listened to and ignored, this view was consistent among the public and professional consultation.”
One professional quoted in the report said: “Women are often told to get on with things, don’t be so hormonal or emotional.”
Respondents also described being unsupported in the workplace or feeling embarrassed to ask for help due to stigma around periods.
One doctor quoted in the consultation explained how frequently they were asked to write letters justifying patients’ time off. “I have regularly written letters to employers explicitly outlining the impact of heavy periods – this usually works, but it is shameful that women have to incur this.”
According to the consultation, 41% of respondents identified gynaecological health – including conditions like endometriosis – as the top health priority for women and girls in Jersey. Among younger women, menstrual health ranked highest.
The report concluded that improving access and affordability of health and wellbeing services should be a government priority.
This includes creating clear information pathways, offering flexible appointment options, and allowing self-referral to specialists in menstrual and gynaecological care.
Full interview with Kate Fry in Monday’s JEP.
