• Skip to main content
  • Skip to navigation
  • Accessibility
  • Contact Us
Government of Western Australia Crest
Government of Western Australia
Government of Western Australia Crest

Additional Menu

  • Accessibility
  • Contact us
Go to WA Government search
  • Patients and Visitors
    • Visiting us
      • Your clinic appointment
      • Coming to hospital
      • Going home
    • Coming to Emergency
    • Aishwarya’s CARE Call
    • Supporting carers and people with a disability
    • Aboriginal services
    • Allied Health Services
    • Family Assistance
      • Social work
      • Interpreters and Language Services
      • Pastoral care, spiritual care and chaplain
      • Agnes Walsh House accommodation
      • Family Domestic Violence
    • Private Patients
    • Overseas patient fees
    • Creche
    • Patient fact sheets
    • WNHS Consumer Library
    • Our Healthcare Standards
    • Freedom of Information
  • Pregnancy and Birth
    • Planning a pregnancy
    • Pregnancy choices (including abortion)
      • Support and counselling
      • Considering an abortion
      • Complications during pregnancy
    • During your pregnancy
      • Emergency Care
      • Pregnancy Care Options
      • Specialty Clinics
      • Parent Education
      • Looking after yourself
      • Mental health services
      • Physiotherapy
    • Giving birth
    • After your pregnancy
      • Breastfeeding
      • Going home
      • Visiting Midwifery Service
      • Pharmacy
      • Physiotherapy
      • Mental health services
      • Neonatal Intensive Care
    • Pregnancy loss
      • Pastoral Care Services
      • Perinatal Loss Service
  • Women's Health
    • Cancer Services
      • Cancer Services at WNHS
      • Menopause symptoms after cancer
      • Cancer Screening
    • Gynaecology and inpatients
      • Preparing for a Gynae appointment
      • Gynaecology Clinics at WNHS
      • Pelvic mesh (transvaginal mesh) telephone line
      • Pharmacy
    • Cervical Screening
    • Allied Health Services
    • Menopause Services
    • Mental health services
      • Childbirth and Mental Illness Service
      • Mother baby unit
      • Mental health service
    • Physiotherapy
      • Bladder / bowel concerns
      • Gynaecological cancer
      • Pregnant / had a baby
      • Lymphoedema
      • Mesh complications
      • Operation
      • Pelvic pain
      • For health professionals
    • Social work
    • Family and domestic violence
    • Family planning and contraception
  • Other Health Services
    • Genetic Services
    • Pathology
    • Sexual Assault Resource Centre
      • For Professionals
      • Counselling services at SARC
      • Crisis services at SARC
      • Frequently asked questions
      • Information resources
      • Sexual assault, rape, consent and the law
      • What happens when you call or visit SARC
    • Ultrasound and Imaging
    • WA Register of Developmental Anomalies
  • For Health Professionals
    • Clinical Guidelines
      • Community Midwifery Program
      • Disclaimer
      • Neonatal Medication Protocols
      • Obstetrics and Gynaecology Guidelines
      • Obstetrics and Gynaecology Medication Guidelines
    • Referring patients
      • Abortion Care Service
      • Antenatal Referrals
      • Cancer referrals
      • Emergency Centre WNHS at KEMH
      • Genetics referrals
      • Gynaecology referrals
      • Patient Blood Management and Haematology Service
      • Obstetrics referrals
      • Physiotherapy referrals
      • Pregnancy care options
      • Mental Health referrals
    • Specialist Antenatal Clinics
    • Gynaecology Clinics
    • WNHS Education
      • Mandatory training
      • eLearning
      • Department of Nursing and Midwifery Education and Research
      • Women’s Health Strategy and Programs education and training
      • SARC Education and training
      • SPIMHP Education and training
    • GP antenatal shared care
    • FDV
      • Gender-based violence and FGC/M
      • Training
      • Guidance material and resources for clinicians
    • Research
    • SARC
      • Non-medical education and training
      • Medical education and training
      • Health professionals providing care for a patient following a sexual assault
      • Information and Resources
      • Working at the Sexual Assault Resource Centre (SARC)
    • Statewide Perinatal and Infant Mental Health Program
    • Cancer Services / Screening
      • WA Gynaecologic Cancer Service (WAGCS)
      • WA Trophoblastic Centre
      • Cervical Screening
      • BreastScreen WA
    • GP Liaison
    • WARDA
    • Staff exposures and absences form
  • Work with us
    • Employee benefits
    • About us
    • Staff stories
    • International and interstate recruitment
    • Nursing and Midwifery
    • Medical
    • Graduates
    • Volunteer with us or donate
    • Fellowships and student placements
  • About us
    • Latest news
    • Contact us
    • Feedback, compliments and complaints
      • Patient reviews via Care Opinion
    • Volunteer and donations
    • Women and Babies Hospital Project
    • Community Advisory Council
    • KEMH history and Alumni
    • Past adoption practices
    • Vision, Mission and Values
    • Executive Committee
  1. Home
  2. News
  3. 2023
  4. 11
  5. 02
  6. Research highlights need for understanding of endometriosis

Research highlights need for understanding of endometriosis

Research highlights need for understanding of endometriosis

Dr Jacqueline Frayne Dr Jacqueline Frayne
02/11/2023

Congratulations to King Edward Memorial Hospital Clinician, Dr Jacqueline Frayne who recently had her paper published in the Australian Journal of General Practice.

Her research on challenges in diagnosing and managing endometriosis highlights the need for us to better understand from a general practitioner's perspective, so we can best support women and reduce the diagnostic delay.

This comes as new research from the Australian Government Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) released new statistics reporting an increase to around 14 per cent of women aged 44 to 49 are estimated to have endometriosis. This increase indicates that 1 in 7 women will be diagnosed with endometriosis in their lifetime.

The rate of hospitalisations for the condition has also increased, doubling among women aged 20-24 over the past decade.

The report includes the most recent prevalence estimates on the historically under-recognised condition which can affect fertility and lead to reduced participation in work, school and social activities.

Endometriosis is a progressive chronic condition where tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows in other parts of the body. Endometriosis can affect women and girls, transgender, non-binary, and gender diverse people assigned female at birth.

Diagnosis and management of endometriosis is complex, with an average of between 6 to 8 years between the onset of symptoms and diagnosis.

Dr Frayne identified three main challenges for GPs in diagnosing and managing patients with endometriosis, including eliciting symptoms, delivering patient-centred care and working within the current systems and services.

The study found that GPs can be better supported through heightened awareness, education and clear and pragmatic guidelines that consider local pathways and increased access for referral to centres for excellent and collaborative care.

It is widely recognised that significant improvement in outcomes for individuals affected by endometriosis is required, and this can be facilitated by raising awareness among women and health professionals.

Read Dr Frayne's paper (external site).

Previous Next
Last Updated: 03/11/2023
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram

Footer menu

  • wa.gov.au
  • Copyright
  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy
  • Sitemap
  • Contact Us

Brought to you by the Department of Health, Western Australia

© Government of Western Australia 2018 to 2025