News.com.au has launched a week-long editorial campaign, 'About Bloody Time', aimed at advocating for longer, Medicare-funded consultations for endometriosis diagnosis and treatment.

The campaign was prompted by a News.com.au reader survey of over 1700 endometriosis sufferers, revealing a concerning trend of women being denied pain medication, labelled as drama queens, and referred for psychiatric assessment by doctors dismissing their period pain caused by endometriosis.

The survey found that more than 83% of respondents had taken time off work due to their pain, but over half chose not to tell their boss for fear of being disbelieved or even sacked.

Conducted in February 2024, the survey also found that 34% of respondents had undergone more than two surgeries for endometriosis, with 7.4% reporting over seven surgeries. The high costs associated with the procedures meant 52.2% of respondents spent more than $5000 on their treatment, including 71 respondents who reported having spent over $100,000.

"One million Australian women have spent an average of seven years of their lives being told their endometriosis, a condition that causes chronic pain and infertility, is just bad period pain – take some pain relief and harden up," said News.com.au Editor, Kerry Warren. "But endo is not just bad period pain. It's a chronic, often lifelong condition, and there is no cure. It affects every part of a woman's life, from relationships and work to their ability to start a family."

The 'About Bloody Time' campaign will feature editorial, video and social content, showcasing the stories of high-profile sufferers, women from rural and regional Australia, and interviews with experts, researchers and doctors. A consumer marketing campaign will support 'About Bloody Time', with promotion across print, digital, radio and social channels.

"The current Medicare system pays a very low rebate for gynaecological care, leaving women with two options: short consults that barely scratch the surface of their issues, or huge out of pocket expenses. For many, it’s both," Warren said. "Women are tired of suffering in silence. Of being unable to access appropriate medical care, or being thousands of dollars out of pocket when they do. It's About Bloody Time this changed."

News.com.au aims to use this reach to bring about change and lift the standard of care nationwide. "Our core objective is to use our petition to encourage legislators to add a Medicare item number – to help more women be diagnosed sooner," said Warren.