Recent research by Epic, analyzing millions of electronic medical records from 2017 through 2024, reveals that endometriosis diagnosis rates are climbing sharply in the United States. A trend with important implications for women’s health, clinical practice, and public health awareness.
Key Findings
Between 2017 and 2024, the annual diagnosis rate of endometriosis rose by 32%, jumping from 24.9 to 32.8 per 10,000 patients. In 2024, women aged 35–49 exhibited the highest diagnosis rate by far at 85.4 per 10,000, reflecting the increased recognition and possibly the cumulative impact of symptoms over many years. In contrast, the rate among younger women aged 15–24 was lowest at just 6 per 10,000, highlighting a persistent challenge in identifying endometriosis early in life.
Notably, more than half (55.9%) of patients diagnosed in 2024 had documented abdominal or pelvic pain in their records up to two years before formal diagnosis, suggesting that many lived with symptoms for a substantial period before endometriosis was recognized by clinicians.
Explanations for Rising Rates
Researchers attribute much of this increase to greater awareness among both patients and healthcare providers. Social media, advocacy efforts, and educational campaigns have spurred more women to seek help for telltale symptoms and more providers to suspect and test for endometriosis in appropriate cases. Advances in medical record systems and improved symptom tracking may also contribute to these trends, ensuring a more complete picture of patient histories.
However, despite these improvements, younger women remain significantly under-diagnosed. Endometriosis often begins in adolescence, but factors such as the normalization of period pain, lack of symptom awareness, and reluctance to consult clinicians about menstrual health continue to delay diagnosis for many.
Impacts on Patients and Healthcare
The implications are substantial: not only is endometriosis common, it can seriously undermine quality of life, leading to persistent pain, menstrual complications, infertility, and mental health struggles. Earlier diagnosis facilitates better symptom control, potentially limiting progression and improving natural fertility outcomes. Delayed recognition, on the other hand, prolongs suffering and increases the risk of advanced disease, complicated surgeries, and long-term disability.
Closing the Diagnosis Gap
Despite the encouraging increase in diagnosis rates and awareness, the data underscores an unmet need: closing the diagnosis gap for young women. Increased education about menstrual health, more vigilant primary care screening, and accessible diagnostic pathways are needed to ensure that symptoms are not dismissed or overlooked, particularly in teens and young adults.
Addressing this issue offers the chance for earlier intervention, improved physical and emotional outcomes, and a reduction in the indirect social and health system burdens caused by untreated endometriosis.
Sources
- Epic Research. Endometriosis Rates Increasing Across All Ages, Most Common in Women 35–49. July 29, 2025. Available at: https://epicresearch.org/articles/endometriosis-rates-increasing-across-all-ages-most-common-in-women-35-49epicresearch
- Epic Research. Endometriosis Rates Increasing Across All Ages, Most Common in Women 35–49 (PDF). Available at: https://media.epic.com/epicresearch/wordpressmedia/pdfs/endometriosis-rates-increasing-across-all-ages-most-common-in-women-35-49.pdfepic
- LinkedIn. Endometriosis diagnoses rising in all age groups: study. August 19, 2025. Available at: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/kersten-bartelt-4445a6241_endometriosis-rates-increasing-across-all-activity-7356006465398038529-yMhjlinkedin
- Nature Medicine. Understanding endometriosis knowledge among clinicians and patients. July 2025. Available at: https://www.nature.com/articles/s44294-025-00096-6nature
