Emma Barnett, British broadcaster and journalist, is shedding light on the struggles faced by women who are diagnosed with endometriosis in her documentary “Emma Barnett: Fighting Endometriosis”, which is set to be released on BBC 2 on 1 June 2026 at 9pm.

Endometriosis is often referred to as “painful periods” by those who do not understand the condition; however, there is much more to endometriosis and this description minimises the debilitating impact it can have.

Endometriosis occurs when cells, similar to those which line the womb (known as endometrium), start to grow in other parts of the body – such as on the bowel, bladder, ovaries, fallopian tubes and other parts of the abdomen – and multiply, creating raw and angry sores. Along with the natural cycle of the menstrual cycle, the tissue thickens and bleeds each month; however, unlike the tissue in the uterus, there is nowhere for the tissue to go and it therefore leads to inflammation and scarring (also known as adhesions).

Women can experience a range of symptoms depending on the severity of the endometriosis or where their endometriosis is but a main feature of this condition is extreme pain. Please find our article Endometriosis Awareness Month 2026 providing more detail into what endometriosis is and the symptoms of the disease.

The cause of endometriosis is unknown and there is currently no cure for it. However, earlier diagnosis can lead to better outcomes, as the disease is generally more straightforward to treat when diagnosed at an earlier stage and when it has not spread.

One key fact however, as reported by Endometriosis UK, is that the route to an endometriosis diagnosis is often not a quick one. On average, it takes nine years and four months on average for women to be diagnosed with the disease in the UK but for women who are from an ethnic minority, this is increased to 11 years. This is shockingly long time for women to be left suffering without a diagnosis and for many women, diagnosis could and should have been made sooner.

The Emma Barnett BBC documentary will cover her own experience of diagnosis with endometriosis, as well as the accounts of other women affected by endometriosis,. You can find out more information: Emma Barnett: We can’t ignore endometriosis, a disease that leaves women like me in agony – BBC News. To watch this, it can be found on BBC iPlayer or watch on BBC 2 at 9pm on 01 June 2026.