A WOMAN who waited more than 10 years to be diagnosed with endometriosis has led a march to “fight against health inequality” by raising awareness of the lack of treatment, myths and taboos encountered by women with the conditon.

Samantha Hickson, from Ruthin, Denbighshire organised the first North Wales march dedicated to the chronic, often painful disorder that affects one in 10 women - yet takes on average nine years to be diagnosed in Wales.

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Endometriosis causes cells similar to those found in the uterus to appear elsewhere in the body, causing inflammation, pain, and often scarring and adhesions. The condition can also lead to infertility.

There is no cure for the condition but there are treatments that can help its symptoms.

However it does not appear on scans and the only way to diagnose it is an operation which inserts cameras into the pelvis.

About 160 people took part in the EndoMarch in Llandudno, Conwy, holding placards reading “End to endo” and "Endo the silence".

Ms Hickson, who was told she had irritable bowel syndrome a decade before her diagnosis aged 37, said: "Despite being common, many women with endometriosis are misdiagnosed. I wasn’t aware of condition until I was 27, and then it took more than 10 years for me to be diagnosed, during which time I was told I had stress, irritable bowel syndrome, and I was put under an induced menopause.

North Wales Pioneer: North Wales Pioneer:

“It is not uncommon for women to be told they need a hysterectomy, but endometriosis exists outside the uterus so it goes untreated.

“The problem is that the longer it is left, the more disabling it becomes.

“My misdiagnosis has had lasting physical and mental effects.”

Ms Hickson said there is a “lack of knowledge” about the condition in the NHS, which is not helped by taboos that deter women from talking about it.

“There is a lack of knowledge about endometriosis in the medical profession,” she said. “Wales’ three specialists who can carry out the excision of the cells, the best treatment available, are all located in Cardiff, which makes the North Wales march is even more important as we are fighting against health inequality.

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“There are also taboos which do not help and mean that many people are unaware of it.

“When I was diagnosed I carried out a lot of my own research and eventually sought guidance from the charity Fair Treatment for the Women of Wales (FTWW), who I’m so grateful towards.

“Endometriosis cannot be cured but excision is the best treatment.

“FTWW is working with women and giving them advice about the condition, making them aware of the myths about how it should be treated and the correct treatment they can receive.

"I'm very positive things will change and we will march every year until it does.”

For further information about diagnosis and support, visit the FTWW website.