Why we’re raising the red flag
1 in 10 people with a cervix of reproductive age in the UK have endometriosis1. Each of these people has waited, on average, eight years for a diagnosis2. Why? Because many of them didn’t know their crippling cramps, their gushing blood, their stabbing pain during sex and their utter, mind-melting exhaustion were symptoms of endometriosis3,4.
Enough is enough.
We are on a mission to help end the wait for a diagnosis of endometriosis. We’re calling for people to listen to their bodies. To trust what their pain, their clots and their constipation are trying to tell them. To take charge of their health and their lives. So, pay attention to what your body is trying to say. And if something doesn’t feel right, book an appointment with your GP right away.
But first, people need to know what’s normal. And what’s not.
So we’re arming as many people as we can – from Dundee to Dorset – with the facts they need to spot potential endometriosis symptoms. Or, as we call them, ‘red flags’. With this knowledge comes great power: the power to live better lives.
And the rest relies on… you.
If you spot any red flags, talk to your GP immediately. And share the symptoms with your friends, your family and the people you work with.
Raise the red flag for those yet to be diagnosed.
Let’s end the excruciating wait together.
Knowledge is power.
Discover our recommended list of websites to learn more about endometriosis symptoms, diagnosis and treatments.
Be empoweredThe red flag campaign
We need as many people as possible to know about The Red Flag Campaign. That’s why we use very real and, sometimes, toe-curlingly detailed descriptions of endometriosis pain and symptoms. We speak in a way that everyone understands. That everybody can relate to.
As well as educating people across the UK, we’re also arming GPs with a ‘red flag vocabulary’, helping them listen out for the symptoms among their patients.
Rather than ‘period pain’, we get down into the detail, using phrases that everyday people might use instead. Things like ‘stabbing pains in my womb’ or ‘a deep ache after sex’ paint a far more vivid picture, don’t you think?
Together, the people and GPs of the UK have the power to get endometriosis diagnosed sooner.
Gedeon Richter
Flying the flag for people with endometriosis
The Red Flag Campaign is brought to you by Gedeon Richter. For more than 100 years, we’ve been leading the way in healthcare solutions for women. In fact, since we opened our doors in 1901, we’ve researched and developed gynecological therapies that aim to make women’s lives better every day.
As experts in women’s health, we feel it’s our responsibility to raise the red flag. We’re passionate about ending the wait for a diagnosis of endometriosis. We’re dedicated and stubborn too. So we won’t stop until people across the UK know the symptoms of endometriosis – and have the confidence to go to their GP if they think something’s wrong.
References:
- Rogers PA, D'Hooghe TM, Fazleabas A, Gargett CE, Giudice LC, Montgomery GW, Rombauts L, Salamonsen LA, Zondervan KT. Priorities for endometriosis research: recommendations from an international consensus workshop. Reprod Sci. 2009;16(4):335-46
- All Party Parliamentary Group on Endometriosis (APPG). Endometriosis in the UK: time for change. APPG on Endometriosis Inquiry Report 2020. Available from: https://www.endometriosis-uk.org/sites/default/files/files/Endometriosis%20APPG%20Report%20Oct%202020.pdf. [Accessed March 2024].
- NHS. Endometriosis. Available from: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/endometriosis/. [Accessed March 2024].
- Saunders PTK, Horne AW. Endometriosis: Etiology, pathobiology, and therapeutic prospects. Cell. 2021;184(11):2807-2824
