Key Points
- Laura Cairns, a Cambridge resident, has launched a petition asking that endometriosis and adenomyosis be recognised as disabilities in Canada.
- The petition also calls for more research funding and easier access to timely treatment for women living with these conditions.
- Cairns says she spent 21 years seeking answers before being diagnosed with stage 4 endometriosis.
- She told CambridgeToday that doctors repeatedly missed the condition, despite years of emergency visits, urgent care appointments, walk-in clinics and specialist referrals.
- The petition gathered more than 26,000 signatures and has been accepted by the House of Commons.
- Green Party leader Elizabeth May brought the petition forward, and it is set to be voted on July 8.
- Endometriosis Canada says the disease affects about 1 in 10 girls and women, or about 2 million Canadians.
- Endometriosis Canada founder Violeta Kondovski says diagnosis often takes seven to 10 years on average and specialist care can involve very long waits.
- Cairns says she wants Parliament to act because similar petitions are also before the House of Commons.
Cambridge (Cambridge Tribune) June 27, 2026 – Laura Cairns’ petition is heading to the House of Commons after drawing more than 26,000 signatures and being formally accepted for debate. The campaign asks lawmakers to support disability recognition for endometriosis and adenomyosis, increase research funding, and improve access to timely treatment.
Laura Cairns says the petition is the result of years of trying to be heard by the health system, and she argues that official recognition is long overdue. She said the issue has affected nearly every part of her life, including her job, social life and family relationships. The vote on the petition is scheduled for July 8, placing the issue directly before Parliament next month.
What did Cairns say about her diagnosis?
Cairns told CambridgeToday that she lived with symptoms for years before doctors identified the cause. She said she had “spent years” moving between emergency clinics, urgent care centres, walk-in clinics, family doctors and specialists without anyone catching the condition.
She said the diagnosis only became clearer after watching singer-songwriter Halsey speak publicly about endometriosis symptoms. Cairns then pushed for a referral to a gynaecologist, who immediately recognised the signs and arranged a diagnostic surgery. Her experience, she said, shows that many general practitioners and urgent care doctors are still not well informed about the disease.
What are endometriosis and adenomyosis?
Endometriosis is a chronic condition in which tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows outside it. It can lead to chronic pelvic pain, painful intercourse, heavy or irregular menstrual bleeding and infertility. Adenomyosis is similar, but the tissue grows into the muscular wall of the uterus, producing overlapping symptoms.
The petition argues that both conditions can be severe enough to affect work, education, relationships and mental health. Cairns says the system often treats the illness as a routine period problem rather than a serious chronic condition. That misunderstanding, she says, contributes to delays in diagnosis and treatment.
How common is the condition?
Endometriosis Canada says the disease affects about one in 10 girls and women, or roughly 2 million people in Canada. That figure underlines why campaigners argue the issue should receive more attention from policymakers and healthcare providers.
Violeta Kondovski, founder of Endometriosis Canada, said many patients are still sent from one specialist to another before they get the right diagnosis. She said some are initially treated for conditions such as IBS before endometriosis is considered. Kondovski also said the condition is often misunderstood because the public sees it as “just a bad period,” when it can be much more serious and systemic.
Why do patients face such delays?
Kondovski said the average diagnosis time is about seven to 10 years, which she described as evidence of a major awareness gap. She said many regular doctors and paediatricians do not know what symptoms to look for, so patients are not routed quickly to the right specialist.
She also said funding for endometriosis research and care has long been low. According to her, referral waits for a specialist can take one to two years, while surgery waits can stretch to three to five years. She added that complicated cases may be even harder to move through the system because doctors are not always paid more for difficult treatment.
What treatment challenges do patients face?
Kondovski said treatment is often hormonal and designed to suppress the menstrual cycle, which can mean putting women into menopause or using birth control for younger patients. In more serious cases, surgery may be needed, including excision surgery or, in adenomyosis cases, hysterectomy.
She warned that late treatment can lead to more repeated surgeries later, especially if the disease has progressed to a severe stage before the first operation. Cairns’ case, she said, reflects a wider pattern in which patients are left waiting until symptoms become extreme. This is one reason campaigners are demanding faster diagnosis and better pathways into care.
What does Cairns want to change?
Cairns wants Parliament to treat endometriosis and adenomyosis as serious conditions that can qualify as disabilities when they limit daily life or work. She also wants more public and private research funding so doctors can better understand diagnosis, treatment and long-term care.
She says better access to treatment would help patients avoid years of suffering and reduce the risk of repeated surgeries. Cairns also wants the medical system to stop dismissing women who report severe pain. Her petition, she says, is part of a broader movement for women’s health care.
Background of the development
This petition grew out of a wider struggle over women’s health care, diagnostic delays and limited specialist access in Canada. Campaigners say endometriosis has long been under-recognised, under-funded and poorly understood by both the public and parts of the medical profession.
The issue has also gained force because patients increasingly share their experiences through support groups and social media, making it easier to identify patterns of delayed diagnosis. Cairns said joining online groups made her realise she was not alone, and that many women had lived through the same experience. The petition now represents both a personal story and a broader policy demand.
What could happen next?
If the petition passes, it could strengthen the case for federal attention on endometriosis research, diagnosis and care standards. That may matter most for women who are still waiting years for specialist appointments or surgery.
For patients, disability recognition could improve access to support, workplace accommodations and greater legitimacy in the healthcare system. For doctors and policymakers, the vote could increase pressure to shorten referral delays and expand training on women’s pelvic pain conditions. Even if the petition does not pass, Cairns says the campaign has already helped build momentum for other similar petitions in Parliament.
