'I have four months left to preserve my fertility'

"It feels frightening, but the little eggs I do have left are good quality, so it's not over. When I was in my teens and early twenties I just thought I was getting urinary and kidney infections all the time. I just thought I was one of those unlucky girls. The pain just never went."

"According the NHS, endometriosis occurs when cells similar to those in the lining of the uterus grow in other parts of the body. It often affects the ovaries, fallopian tubes and the tissue lining the pelvis. Symptoms include severe abdominal pain, heavy periods, painful sex and fatigue. It is thought that one in 10 women suffer with the condition."

"It got so bad I was waking up in the middle of the night, throwing up from the pain and writhing around on the floor. Doctors initially misdiagnosed Hall, at the age of 24, with chronic urinary tract infections (UTIs), prescribing her a year's worth of antibiotics. By the time they realised something was seriously wrong the endometriosis has spread everywhere."

Iona Hall, 30, from Bristol, underwent two surgical procedures in 2024 to address severe endometriosis, including removal of a 10cm ovarian cyst and separation of fused bowels and uterus. She has launched a crowdfunding campaign to raise £21,000 for three rounds of egg harvesting, which must occur within four months due to her critically low egg reserve. Hall first experienced symptoms after discontinuing contraceptive pills that had masked pain for a decade. Initial misdiagnosis as chronic urinary tract infections delayed proper treatment, allowing the endometriosis to spread extensively. Despite her condition, doctors confirmed her remaining eggs are good quality. Endometriosis affects approximately one in ten women, with diagnosis typically taking over eight years from initial GP consultation.

Read at www.bbc.com