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Not all providers are created equal. Results of the 2021 Endometriosis in America Survey

Not All Providers Are Created Equal: Results of the 2021 Endometriosis In America Survey

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By Editorial Team

2 min read

Endometriosis is complex to diagnose, difficult to treat, and challenging to manage – all of which makes finding the right healthcare providers (HCPs) that much more important. Many of our endo community members want to know how to find the right doctor, what to ask at appointments, and when to seek a second opinion. So to better understand the role that doctors play, we asked our community members to share their experiences. More than 1,000 endo warriors shared their stories in our 2021 Endometriosis In America survey.

Healthcare and appointment experiences

There are many different doctors who treat and manage endometriosis. Our endo warriors see a variety of professionals, including:

  • Gynecologists
  • Primary care/family physicians (PCPs)
  • Reproductive endocrinologists
  • Alternative medicine specialists
  • Surgeons

While every endo warrior deserves excellent care, sadly, not all doctor-patient experiences are perfect. When asked about the last conversation with their doctors about endometriosis-related pain, our community members shared a range of experiences.

When discussing pain, 1 respondent said,
When asked to describe the HCPs who manage their endo, 66 percent said HCPs are easy to talk to and/or listen to them

Does provider type matter?

Lots of different providers can treat endometriosis, but does primary provider type matter? While the majority (58 percent) of our survey respondents see gynecologists (OB/GYNs) to treat their endo, 7 percent see PCPs, and 9 percent see surgeons. The type of provider makes a difference:

According to endo warriors, surgeons are more likely than OBGYNs to listen to the patient and care about them as a person.

Provider type does not just impact how endo warriors feel about their providers. According to survey responses, provider type may also play a role in how endo warriors feel about themselves and their endo experiences.

Compared to those whose main HCPs are OBGYNs, those whose main HCPs are surgeons are more likely to describe endo as severe.

Every provider is different

While seeing a surgeon instead of an OB/GYN may have an impact, we also know that every provider is different. Fortunately, many endo warriors have found providers who listen and understand – and are ready to help.

When discussing pain, 1 respondent said: She acted on my endo symptoms. She is the only doctor who has listened to me.

Every warrior deserves excellent care. If you are looking for tips on finding the right doctor or want to share your own HCP experiences, please consider checking out our forums page. You can also comment below or share your story.

The 2021 Endometriosis In America survey was conducted online from February to March of 2021. Of the 1,027 people who completed the survey, 97 percent identified as female, 2 percent identified as non-binary/gender non-conforming, and 0.1 percent identified as male.

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