Health · Healthcare & Policy · 11 hrs ago
Endometriosis leaves some women facing career and financial costs
Charlotte Samphire, 21, left her job because severe endometriosis symptoms were too difficult to manage.
She is a beauty therapist from East Yorkshire and has lived with debilitating pain since she was 10.
Endometriosis is a chronic condition in which cells similar to the womb lining grow elsewhere in the body.
It affects 1.5 million people in the UK, and diagnosis takes an average of nine years from the start of symptoms.
A parliamentary report found the condition affects women’s finances and careers, and Samphire says women should not have to choose between their health and their jobs.
MPs are calling for a national workplace framework to help employers understand what support to provide, and for a review of Equality Act guidance; the government’s next steps are not stated.
Charlotte Samphire, 21, says severe endometriosis symptoms forced her to leave her job.
A government report found that endometriosis has a significant impact on women’s finances and careers.
Samphire and Hull charity Hey Endo! are calling for improvements.
An All-Party Parliamentary Group report recommends better workplace support for people with the condition.
Endometriosis affects 1.5 million people in the UK, and diagnosis takes an average of nine years from the onset of symptoms.
- Who
- Charlotte Samphire, a beauty therapist from East Yorkshire, and the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Endometriosis.
- What
- Samphire says endometriosis forced her to leave her job. A parliamentary report found the condition affects women’s careers and finances.
- When
- The BBC article was published on 9 November 2026. The report was published recently; no date is stated.
- Where
- East Yorkshire, UK.
- Why
- Samphire’s symptoms were too severe to manage while working. The report says the condition has significant effects on women’s finances and careers.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Samphire began experiencing years of debilitating pain.
Samphire had to leave her job because her symptoms were too severe to manage.
The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Endometriosis published a report on the condition in the workplace.
- Samphire’s age
- 21
- Samphire’s location
- East Yorkshire
- UK prevalence
- 1.5 million people affected
- Average time to diagnosis
- Nine years from the onset of symptoms
- Report author
- All-Party Parliamentary Group on Endometriosis
What people are saying
People need to know that women shouldn't have to choose between their careers and their health,
That framework should build on existing standards and the menopause action plans that were already introduced earlier this year,
I think that will provide support and guidance for employers so that they can better understand the support they should be providing to their employees, but also allow women living with the condition to better understand the kind of support they should receive.