Menu, a 37‑year‑old supply‑chain adviser, began feeling severe pelvic pain at age 26 after stopping birth control. After emergency visits, a hysterectomy and years on waiting lists, she and her husband used savings and debt to travel to EndoGlobal in Tijuana, where the total cost—including flights, a hotel and the procedure—was about $35,000.

A November 2025 report from the House of Commons health committee says Canada does a “poor” job caring for endometriosis, a condition that affects one in ten women and costs the economy roughly $2.5 billion each year. The committee found the average time to diagnosis is five years, with some patients waiting up to 20 years, and that it can take three to four years to see a specialist after diagnosis.

The same report highlighted gender bias – doctors often dismiss severe pelvic pain as “just part of being a woman” – and a shortage of specially trained gynecologists. Dr. Nicholas Leyland, president of the Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada, warned that the lack of trained surgeons makes complex endometriosis surgery hard to access.

Because of these delays, many Canadian women are turning to clinics like EndoGlobal. Vanessa Papiernik, a 42‑year‑old veterinarian, said more than 30 Canadian women were receiving treatment there at the same time. For them, the long Canadian waitlists mean paying thousands of dollars abroad to avoid years of suffering.

The committee’s top recommendation calls for a national action plan to close gaps in awareness, diagnosis and treatment, hoping future patients won’t have to travel overseas for care.