Health committee  Thank you, Mr. Chair. Something we hear from women with endometriosis is that the very first step is believing them when they say they're in pain. We know people from different underserved groups are believed less commonly in the health care system. We know, for example, that Black women talk about the narrative of “the strong Black woman”—that they feel pain differently or don't feel pain.

Health committee  We couldn't go one meeting without someone being on mute. I just want to say quickly that I think when you speak with people who have endometriosis, a lot of the mental health concerns they experience come from being disbelieved by their health care providers, by their families, by their friends, by their communities.

Health committee  Yes, I think that's fair.

Health committee  I'm not aware that has happened. That's one of the points we made in our brief, which was attached. Until we consider endometriosis benchmarking as a priority similar to what we've done for other things like hip replacements, etc.... Those have been set as priority areas. It is high time endometriosis surgery is set as a priority area with associated benchmarks, and with expectations for provinces to fulfill those benchmarks.

Health committee  I think that's an excellent question. On the research front, it's probably a multi-faceted problem. On the one hand, to make real changes in endometriosis we need to see sustained investment in research areas. Certainly, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research have been investing more in women's health research more recently, which is really wonderful to see.

Health committee  The shocking consequence of these delays is that more and more Canadians are paying out of pocket to access the endometriosis care they need outside of the country. To be clear, these are not experimental or unnecessary procedures; they are standard and life-changing surgeries. It is also not just wealthy Canadians who are seeking care internationally.