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- calendar_today October 12, 2026
Noelle Menu's Journey for Endometriosis Care
Noelle Menu, 37, remembers how the pain began when she stopped taking birth control to try for children at age 26. The pain quickly became overwhelming, severely limiting her daily life. Despite repeated emergency room visits, a hysterectomy, and years on waitlists, relief remained out of reach. Facing the prospect of a years-long wait to see a specialist in Canada, Menu and her husband made a difficult decision: to seek endometriosis treatment at a private clinic in Tijuana, Mexico.
The Cost of Seeking Treatment Abroad
The couple drew from their savings and went into debt to afford treatment at EndoGlobal in Tijuana. The total cost, which included airfare and a multi-day hotel stay, was about $35,000. Menu is not alone; an increasing number of Canadian women are traveling to Mexico for surgery after feeling let down by the Canadian health care system.
Endometriosis and Diagnosis Delays in Canada
Endometriosis is a chronic condition that affects one in ten women, causing tissue similar to the uterine lining to grow outside the uterus. This can lead to severe pain, inflammation, and scarring. According to a November 2025 report by the House of Commons health committee, Canada performs poorly in providing adequate endometriosis care. The report noted that it takes, on average, five years to diagnose the disease—though some women have waited up to twenty years.
After finally receiving a diagnosis, patients often face additional delays: six to eighteen months to see a specialist and up to twenty-four months more for surgery. The committee found these medical diagnosis delays are compounded by the fact that symptoms may mimic other conditions and can be dismissed or overlooked.
The Role of Gender Bias and its Impact
Experts and advocacy groups point to gender bias as a significant factor. The House of Commons report outlined how menstrual pain is often minimized or viewed as 'just part of being a woman,' contributing to further delays and suffering. Menu, who works as a supply-chain systems adviser, had to reduce her working hours and described the disease as debilitating. "I really wish there was more awareness around it and that doctors would take us women seriously," she told CBC News.
Stories of Long Waits and the Search for Alternatives
Vanessa Papiernik, a 42-year-old veterinarian from Victoria, endured nearly 30 years before being accurately diagnosed with endometriosis. After suffering nine months of severe pain and a colonoscopy that revealed a mass, she feared cancer—a worry compounded by her sister’s previous death from colon cancer. The mass turned out to be endometriosis infiltrating her colon. Faced with a projected two-year wait for surgery in Canada, Papiernik also chose EndoGlobal in Tijuana. She found more than 30 Canadian women undergoing treatment at the clinic during her stay.
Calls for a National Action Plan and New Approaches
Dr. Nicholas Leyland, president of the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada, says the shortage of specially trained gynecologists and the complexity of endometriosis surgery are major issues. He urged a multidisciplinary approach, which would also involve psychologists and physiotherapists. The parliamentary committee’s top recommendation is for a national action plan to address the gaps in awareness, diagnosis, and treatment of endometriosis. In response, the federal government has tasked Statistics Canada with gathering new data on the condition and has highlighted recent investments in research.
For patients like Menu, timely specialist consultation and chronic pain management remain critical. After her surgery in Mexico, doctors discovered a large mass that could have required emergency surgery within weeks. "For me to hear that I could have been in emergency surgery and my specialist appointment [in Canada] was a 30- to 40-month wait... it makes me so mad," she reflected. Now recovering, Menu expressed gratitude for the care she received and hopes for better support for women facing endometriosis in Canada.
Source: cbc.ca.
