Noelle Menu, aged 37, recalls the onset of excruciating pain at a crucial juncture in her life when she and her spouse decided to start a family at the age of 26. Discontinuing her long-term birth control regimen triggered previously unexperienced pain for her.
This pain soon became pervasive, severely restricting her daily life with no respite in sight. Enduring delays in diagnosis, emergency room visits, a hysterectomy, and enduring lengthy waitlists to see specialists and access treatment added to her anguish. The situation became unbearable for Menu, who described it as “literally destroying my life,” especially upon learning that it would take three to four years to consult a specialist in Canada.
Realizing the inadequacy of the Canadian healthcare system, Menu and her husband tapped into their savings and incurred debt to seek private treatment at EndoGlobal in Tijuana, Mexico, costing approximately $35,000, encompassing travel expenses, a multi-day hotel stay, and other related costs.
Many Canadian women grappling with endometriosis are opting for this route due to their dissatisfaction with the healthcare system. According to a November 2025 report by the House of Commons health committee, which labeled Canada’s efforts in providing care for the one in 10 women affected by endometriosis as “poor,” the economic toll of lost productivity due to the disorder amounts to around $2.5 billion annually.
Endometriosis, a chronic condition where uterine-like tissue spreads to other parts of the body, can cause severe inflammation, scarring, and pain during menstruation. The parliamentary committee found that in Canada, it takes an average of five years to diagnose endometriosis, with some patients enduring up to 20 years before receiving a diagnosis.
The report also highlighted that gender bias, coupled with societal taboos surrounding menstrual issues, often leads to dismissing such pain as a natural aspect of being a woman. Menu, a supply-chain systems adviser, shared how she had to cut her work hours in half due to the pain, emphasizing the need for greater awareness and seriousness from medical professionals towards women suffering from this debilitating disease.
Dr. Jorge Zavala, a co-founder of EndoGlobal, pointed out the lack of awareness among doctors about endometriosis, attributing the delayed diagnoses to this gap in knowledge. He stressed the importance of proper training to accurately identify the condition early on.
Vanessa Papiernik, a 42-year-old veterinarian from Victoria, described her arduous journey to a diagnosis after enduring excruciating pain for years, including a cancer scare before discovering she had endometriosis. Facing long wait times for specialist consultations and surgery in Canada, Papiernik, like Menu, sought treatment at EndoGlobal in Tijuana, Mexico.
Dr. Nicholas Leyland, president of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada, highlighted the shortage of specialized gynecologists in Canada capable of addressing the complex surgical issues associated with endometriosis. Calling for a national action plan on endometriosis, the House of Commons report urged Ottawa to address the gaps hindering awareness, diagnosis, and treatment of the condition.
The federal government’s response included Statistics Canada gathering data on conditions like endometriosis and significant investments in endometriosis research. Menu’s experience in Mexico revealed a critical condition that was almost missed in Canada, underlining the urgency of improving endometriosis care within the country.