George Institute for Global Health, India has conducted a qualitative study to explore women's experiences of endometriosis and its impact on them and their partners' lives. The lead researcher of this study is Dr Preety Rajbangshi, Senior Research Fellow, leading India's Global Women's Health Programme at The George Institute, India.

Given the chronic nature of endometriosis and its potential impact on all aspect of women’s life and those around her, the condition is worthy of policy inquiry and further research.

However, unlike many other chronic illnesses, governments globally as well as in India have paid little to no attention to endometriosis, while funding for research has remained woefully inadequate.

The growing body of research on endometriosis has largely been from high-income countries (HICs) and very little is known about the reality of women living with the condition in India.

To bridge this gap in research, a qualitative study was conducted to explore women’s experiences of endometriosis and its impact on them and their partners’ lives. The research study was undertaken in the states of Delhi and Assam among women above the age of 18 years who were laparoscopically diagnosed with endometriosis. The study participants included both women and their partners. The data was collected between November 2021 and July 2022 using a semi-structured interview guide and analysed thematically.

The findings highlight the need to improve early diagnosis and treatment of endometriosis to reduce its impact on women and their partners’ lives. In Indian context, more research is needed to explore social significance of endometriosis as a chronic condition, and what can be done to improve service delivery and reduce negative impact of this condition on women’s lives.

In addition, future research should also be undertaken to assess economic burden of endometriosis, which may guide policy to include it under centrally sponsored health insurance scheme known as Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY).