Menstrual leave and flexible work arrangements are the forms of workplace support women with endometriosis say would help them most, according to a new study by researchers at Semmelweis University published in Preventive Medicine Reports. Pain and fatigue can contribute to work absences and reduced job performance, creating significant financial consequences for women with the condition.
The first large-scale study of its kind in Central and Eastern Europe found that women with endometriosis lose an average of €1,757 in income each year—roughly equivalent to one month’s average salary in Hungary. The estimate reflects income lost because of work absences and does not include reduced productivity while at work or health care expenses.
Researchers analysed data from 566 women with endometriosis and 447 women without the condition, using internationally validated questionnaires to assess work productivity, absenteeism, and work ability. Over four weeks, women with endometriosis lost an average of 12.7 work hours because of health-related problems, compared with 5.7 hours among women in the control group.
“The impact of endometriosis is not only a health issue but also a major social and economic one,” said Dr. Dóra Balogh, Assistant Professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Semmelweis University and senior author of the study. She noted that because the condition affects women during highly active stages of their lives, it can have consequences for employment, career development, and long-term financial security.
Endometriosis affects about 10% of women of reproductive age worldwide. It is a chronic gynecological condition in which tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows outside the uterus. The condition can cause chronic pelvic pain, painful periods, fatigue, and, in some cases, infertility, while diagnosis may take years after symptoms first appear.
The study also found substantial differences in work ability. Among women with endometriosis, 42% had poor work ability, compared with 17.9% of women without the condition. Poor work ability indicates that health problems make it more difficult for a person to perform their job and may increase the risk of prolonged work disability or eventually leaving the workforce.
“The most surprising finding was that nearly half of the women with endometriosis fell into this category,” said Dr. Dominika Miklós, a resident physician at Semmelweis University and first author of the study. She said that without appropriate support, endometriosis may make everyday work more difficult and threaten women’s ability to remain in the workforce over the long term.
Workplace awareness remains another challenge. Fifty-four percent of respondents said their employer had little or no knowledge of endometriosis, while only 17% believed their workplace was sufficiently informed. Women identified menstrual leave, flexible hours, remote or hybrid work, and greater employer understanding as the support they would value most. Conducted as part of the international FEMaLe (Finding Endometriosis with Machine Learning) research programme, the study concludes that flexible workplace policies and better-informed employers could help women with endometriosis maintain employment and reduce the condition’s broader social and economic impact.
More information: Dominika Miklos et al, Endometriosis as a determinant of work disability in the Hungarian population: quantifying productivity loss and the need for workplace prevention strategies, Preventive Medicine Reports. DOI: 10.1016/j.pmedr.2026.103501
Journal information: Preventive Medicine Reports Provided by Semmelweis University
