Up to 50–75% of teens with pelvic pain have endo
Among teenagers presenting with pelvic pain, up to 50 to 75% are found to have endometriosis, illustrating how early the disease can manifest.
Snapshot · The Peter Attia Drive
#397 ‒ Endometriosis and adenomyosis: diagnosis, fertility, reproductive aging, and emerging treatments | Renato Tomioka, M.D., Ph.D.
Explore episode
Jun 22, 2026
Where this was said
Endometriosis in young women: rising prevalence, delayed diagnosis, and barriers to care
At 29:55 · chapter starts 28:26
The idea of a typical age of presentation for endometriosis no longer holds: Tomioka reports data suggesting that 50 to 75% of adolescents who present with pelvic pain have endometriosis. [1] — Renato Tomioka "Up to 50–75% of teens with pelvic pain have endo: Among teenagers presenting with pelvic pain, up to 50 to 75% are found to have endometrio…" 29:55 That statistic sits alongside a separate, troubling trend — the possible role of microplastics, pollution, poor diet, and sleep-driven immune dysregulation in genuinely increasing prevalence among younger cohorts. Tomioka is candid that the evidence is not definitive, but the parallel with PCOS (where metabolic factors clearly matter) is suggestive. The diagnostic delay of 5 to 12 years exists for three interlocking reasons: a culture that normalizes and dismisses female pain; the absence of any simple blood biomarker; and the historical requirement for surgical laparoscopy to confirm diagnosis. [2] — Renato Tomioka "5–12 year diagnostic delay: Women with endometriosis wait an average of 5 to 12 years from first symptom to diagnosis, with about 6 years i…" 32:12 This delay is not merely inconvenient — it is medically harmful, allowing central sensitization to develop and the disease to progress. ACOG's 2025/2026 guidance allowing empirical clinical diagnosis is framed as a landmark shift that should reduce the window from first symptom to treatment from years to months.
The Diagnostic Delay Problem: 6 Years of Suffering Before a Name
Three factors combine to delay endometriosis diagnosis by 5 to 12 years: cultural normalization of female pain, the absence of a blood biomarker, and historic reliance on surgical laparoscopy for confirmation. High-sensitivity MRI and expert ultrasound are making the surgery-first model obsolete.
5–12 year diagnostic delay
Women with endometriosis wait an average of 5 to 12 years from first symptom to diagnosis, with about 6 years in the US and 7 years in Brazil.
Similar snapshots
More than 3 in 4 Americans report anxiety or depression
Mental health challenges are nearly universal — BetterHelp's own research found the majority of Americans experiencing symptoms right now.
Medicaid 5-year look-back rule
When applying for Medicaid to cover nursing home costs, there is a 5-year look-back period that can disqualify applicants who gave away or spent down assets.
Pipe broke → hydrogen sulfide studio air
A broken pipe filled the Bad Friends studio with what the hosts identified as hydrogen sulfide — microscopic fecal aeroparticles — that the crew denied smelling.
Robot surgery: 10x less blood loss
Fei-Fei Li's father's liver surgery performed by a da Vinci robot resulted in 10 times less blood loss than a typical open liver surgery, thanks to laparoscopic precision.
115M US adults have prediabetes
Approximately 115 million adults in the US currently have prediabetes, most of whom are unaware, according to the Lingo sponsor segment.
Drug overdose deaths: 110K to 80K to 70K
Drug overdose deaths in the US fell from 110,000 to 80,000 in 2024, and then to roughly 70,000 — the largest single-year drop the CDC has ever recorded.
Men's overdose rate fell 27% in one year
Men's overdose death rate fell 27% in a single year, outpacing the 23% drop for women.
Ages 15–24 overdose deaths down 37%
The steepest decline in overdose deaths was among 15–24-year-olds, whose rate fell 37%.
Nurses walk miles per shift fetching items
Fei-Fei Li observed that on a given hospital shift, nurses walk miles just to fetch medicine and supplies, illustrating a clear use case for assistive robotics in healthcare.
