Endometriosis is a painful, and sometimes debilitating condition,  affecting at least one in 9 women in Australia, and those assigned  female at birth.  Around 35,000 women are hospitalised because of the  condition each year.

Despite the serious nature of this condition,  access to health care for women in rural and remote areas, and Aboriginal women, is significantly below that of women in metropolitan  and regional cities and non-Aboriginal women.  

The key barriers to the effective management of endometriosis in rural communities include:

• lack of health literacy around mensturation and endometriosis;

• lack of access to female primary health care practitioners;

• lack of local hospital services resulting in women living with the pain rather than travelling excessive distances for appropriate care.