Fight Endo Foundation founder Marina Kyriakou has criticised the delay of Victoria’s landmark inquiry into women’s pain, warning that years of inaction are leaving women to suffer unnecessarily.
The inquiry, announced in early 2024 and due for release by the end of last year, has now been pushed to mid-2025, with the state government citing more than 13,000 submissions as the cause of the delay.
Kyriakou, who waited over 20 years to be diagnosed with endometriosis and later underwent a hysterectomy, said the delay was deeply disappointing.
“It’s not right to live in pain, it’s not normal – unfortunately, that’s what these women face at the moment,” she told ABC News.
“I couldn’t be a mum because of endometriosis. To this day, I’m in my 50s now, it still upsets me.”
She called for better GP education, faster specialist access, and the creation of a free screening bus to provide quick ultrasound diagnoses.
“Women are spending between five and 10 grand, if not more, depending on what stage of endo they have,” she said.
Despite the preliminary findings revealing widespread sexism, misdiagnosis, and pain dismissal, the final report’s release date remains uncertain.
Kyriakou urged the government to act swiftly to address the systemic issues: “Time matters.”
Source: ABC.
