For the first time in 30 years, the government is making endometriosis medication cheaper.

One in seven Australian women are estimated to have endometriosis.

One in seven. That's hundreds of thousands of women.

Meaning? If you don't suffer from endometriosis, chances are you'll know someone who does. While the condition varies in severity, the fact is that many people go through years — or even decades — of debilitating pain until they finally get some answers.

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For the uninitiated, endometriosis causes tissue similar to the lining of the uterus (called the endometrium) to grow outside of the uterus, causing pain and inflammation. Currently, the average time between the onset of symptoms and diagnosis is still around six to eight years, with surgical intervention taking even longer.

Earlier this year, a new medication was approved for the treatment of endometriosis symptoms — the first in 13 years.

A once-daily tablet, the medication has been approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) for the treatment of symptoms associated with endometriosis. It works by regulating the levels of oestrogen and progesterone in the body — the hormones that contribute to endometriosis — alleviating its symptoms.

Up until now, the only available treatment approved for endometriosis sufferers were injections or nasal sprays — with this new tablet being the first oral form.

While the drug (Visanne, also known by the generic name dienogest), has been available in Australia since 2022, it was not specifically indicated for endometriosis and was originally approved for the treatment of uterine fibroids — a condition that shares common symptoms.

What's more, it's finally available under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS), meaning it will be the first endometriosis treatment in 30 years to be subsidised by the federal government.

It has been reported that the annual cost of a course of daily tablets will drop from more than $800 to $380. For pension and concession card holders, it will be around $90.

Here's everything to know.

Affordable endometriosis medication Under PBS.

Obstetrician and gynaecologist from the University of Sydney, Professor Jason Abbott, told 9News, "Subsidised access to this medicine will be very welcome news for a large number of women living with this invisible disease,"

"There is no cure for endometriosis, and it can last for decades. Affordable access to treatment options to help control symptoms is extremely important for a patient's quality of life."Even after surgery, patients will require medication to help manage symptoms that could otherwise substantially affect their life, including reduced participation in school, work and social activities."

For women like Maddie, 29, the pain of endometriosis is life-altering.

She told Mamamia, "By the end of last year, I'd lost count of the number of times I had been admitted to hospital. The cause? Stage 4 endometriosis. The pain was indescribable; excruciating to the point where morphine barely had any effect."

"To say this has impacted my day-to-day life is an understatement, and the fact that this is an invisible illness and one that some people think is "just a bad period?!", makes it a lot harder. To be honest, it is really frustrating having to constantly justify the way I'm feeling."

"We know that 70 per cent of all endo sufferers take time off work unpaid," Endometriosis Australia CEO Maree Davenport told Nine News. "It needs to be at a price point where it's affordable and that's where we have the equity in the medical system."

In the recent announcement, Health Minister Mark Butler said, "This is a condition that impacts more than a million women — maybe one in seven women and teenage girls, and for too long too many women have been made to suffer in silence," he said.

"It's responsible for as many as 40,000 hospitalisations every year, and that number has increased by about 40 per cent just in the last decade — this is a condition becoming more widespread and more debilitating."

"It is extraordinary to me that the last listing on the PBS for a new treatment for endometriosis was 30 years ago."

For sufferers like Maddie, the news of an accessible and effective treatment for pain management could be life-changing.

While the medication may not be an effective blanket treatment for every woman, Professor Gino Pecoraro, a gynaecologist and endometriosis specialist at the Wesley Hospital in Brisbane, recently told The Guardian, "It provides another option for treating the life-impacting symptoms experienced by women living with this condition.

"I often see patients who have been suffering unnecessarily for too long, they are fed up and looking for answers to manage their endometriosis pain."

The recent news has come as a welcome for endometriosis sufferers around Australia, with advocates pushing for more awareness when it comes to the amount of time it takes to receive a diagnosis.

This article was originally published in February 2024 and has since been updated with new information.

Are you an endometriosis sufferer? What do you think of the new medication for endometriosis? Share your thoughts with us in the comment section below.

Feature image: Getty.