Symptoms
In short
Symptoms vary widely. Some people are very unwell. Some have endometriosis and few symptoms. This page lists what the World Health Organization and NICE actually name — it does not diagnose you.
Last reviewed · Next review Jan 2027 · How we verify
General information, not medical advice. How to use this site
What WHO lists as symptoms
WHO describes endometriosis as a chronic disease. The symptoms it names are severe pain during menstruation, heavy menstrual bleeding, chronic pelvic pain that does not go away when the period ends, infertility, and abdominal bloating and nausea.
It can also affect sex, bowel movements, and urination, and it can affect mental health, including depression and anxiety. The disease is most often in the pelvis. In some people it occurs elsewhere, including the abdomen and chest.
WHO also says some people with endometriosis are asymptomatic, and that symptoms are variable enough that health workers may not recognise them easily.
When NICE says to suspect it
NICE guideline NG73 is written for the NHS in England. It says to suspect endometriosis in women and people, including those aged 17 and under, who have one or more of: chronic pelvic pain; period-related pain that affects daily activities and quality of life; deep pain during or after sex; period-related or cyclical gastrointestinal symptoms, especially painful bowel movements; period-related or cyclical urinary symptoms, especially blood in the urine or pain passing urine; or infertility together with one or more of those.
NICE also says a pain and symptom diary can help the conversation with a clinician, and that a normal examination does not exclude the condition. A diary is a record, not a diagnosis.
When symptoms stop ordinary life
WHO says some people have pain or other symptoms that stop them going to work or school, with lost income for them and their families. It also says these impacts are made worse by stigma and by the belief that period pain is something to ignore. That is a reason to ask for care.
- Fact sheetWHO fact sheet, endometriosis (15 October 2025)
- GuidelineNICE NG73 recommendations