If you’ve been living with intense periods, fatigue, digestive issues, pelvic pain, or infertility and still couldn’t get a clear answer, this post is for you.
If you’ve been told, “It’s just stress,” “It’s just fibroids,” or “That’s just how your body works,” this is especially for you.
You may be one of the many Black women silently living with endometriosis—undiagnosed, misdiagnosed, or completely overlooked.
The Diagnosis Gap
A recent article in Fertility and Sterility INKLINGS confirmed what so many of us have experienced firsthand:
Black women are less likely to be diagnosed with endometriosis, but they are more likely to have advanced disease once they finally receive a diagnosis.
Let that sink in.
By the time someone finally takes your pain seriously, your body may have already endured years of unnecessary suffering. You may have been dismissed, misunderstood, or pushed toward less effective treatments—simply because the system wasn’t built to listen to you.
Medical Bias. Research Gaps. Structural Inequities.
The article also highlights more profound disparities:
- Black women are less likely to be referred to a specialist,
- Less likely to be offered laparoscopic surgery,
- And often excluded from clinical research that informs diagnosis and treatment.
These gaps are personal and technical. They impact how we understand our bodies, the options available, and how healthcare providers speak to or ignore our concerns. These gaps delay care, hope, healing, and the chance to feel seen.
It Wasn’t All in Your Head
If you were just diagnosed after years of being told it was “nothing,”
If you kept going back to the doctor and getting the same vague answers
If you’ve had to fight for someone to believe you
Let me say this clearly:
You weren’t being dramatic.
You weren’t exaggerating.
You were advocating for yourself in a system that wasn’t built with you in mind.
And that advocacy? That’s a form of strength and resistance. That’s love for yourself, even in the face of erasure.
Reproductive Justice Means Listening to Black Women
This Black Maternal Health Week, we must go beyond awareness. We need action.
Black women deserve:
- Early diagnosis
- Specialist referrals
- Inclusion in research
- Access to compassionate, informed care
- Validation and respect
Our reproductive health journeys are not “too complex” or “too emotional” to be understood. They are worthy of being studied, treated, and centered in the conversations about endometriosis, fertility, and maternal care.
Holding Space for Your Healing
To the woman who’s still searching for answers
To the one who’s exhausted from being dismissed
To the one who was just diagnosed and doesn’t know where to start, I see you. You are not alone.
You deserve care that honors your voice and your experience.
I’m Dr. Wiyatta, a reproductive psychologist, and I’m holding space for your healing today and every day.
Let’s continue this conversation. Follow me on Instagram @fertilitycounselingnow
I am a fertility psychologist in California and Maryland and offer complimentary 15-minute initial consultations. If you are a woman, birthing person, or couple seeking infertility counseling, you may click here to schedule an appointment.