WHEN The Traitors contestant Elen Wyn suffered pain that felt like “barbed wire around her stomach” she says she was laughed at by a GP and told she had a low pain threshold.
It would be ten years before she got a diagnosis.
The Traitors star, who was eliminated on episode two, is now calling for GPs to treat women’s health with greater sensitivity.
When her periods began aged 14 she frequently missed school and sat out of sport because of her symptoms.
A GP insisted she had a low pain tolerance and was offered a contraceptive pill for times she was really struggling.
But Elen, from Anglesey, told the BBC she didn’t feel comfortable with this option while not being sexually active.
Some days the pain was so bad she was unable to walk or leave the house.
She said: “Sometimes it’s like you’re being repeatedly stabbed.
“I knew it wasn’t normal regardless of what I was told.”
It was after seeing other sufferers on TikTok that Elen began to piece together she might have endometriosis.
When she was 21, while studying in Cardiff, she tried again to push for answers from medical professionals.
And it wasn’t until Elen requested to see a female GP that her symptoms were “completely validated” and it was agreed she could have endometriosis.
[bc_video account_id=”5067014667001″ application_id=”” aspect_ratio=”16:9″ autoplay=”” caption=”What is Endometriosis” embed=”in-page” experience_id=”” height=”100%” language_detection=”” max_height=”360px” max_width=”640px” min_width=”0px” mute=”” padding_top=”56%” picture_in_picture=”” player_id=”default” playlist_id=”” playsinline=”” sizing=”responsive” video_id=”6358413425112″ video_ids=”” width=”640px”]An ultrasound and MRI scan showed Elen was clear of the condition.
But after Elen pushed for a laparoscopy, her stage four endometriosis was discovered.
She was diagnosed just before appearing on the reality show in 2024 – a decade after her symptoms started.
By this time Elen had endometriosis on her bowel, bladder, fallopian tubes, ovaries and kidney.
Before her diagnosis, Elen was told her pain was “just period pains”.
She said: “I think a narrative needs to be erased here. It’s a condition that’s associated with female hormones, people tend to link the symptoms with being dramatic, and it’s really frustrating to me.
“There is so much stigma around it and I think that stigma needs to be deleted.”
Elen added: “Because I’m training to be an opera singer, you need your pelvis, you need good core strength to sing opera. it really did affect my technique.
“I missed out on a couple of concerts when I was studying down in Cardiff. I was gutted, so gutted.”
According to research by Endometriosis UK, the average diagnosis time for endometriosis in England is eight years and 10 months from the first time a person visits a GP with symptoms.
In Wales, the average wait time for a diagnosis has been found to be even longer – nine years and 11 months in 2024.
Elen has called on the Welsh government to offer more funding, better information and greater sensitivity to women’s health.
The Welsh government said endometriosis was one of the eight priorities outlined in its Women’s Health Plan for Wales.
The Labour government, in January 2025, committed to reducing gynaecology waiting lists in England.
The NHS says it can take a long time to diagnose endometriosis and you might need several different tests to find out if you have it.
This is because endometriosis symptoms can be similar to other conditions, such as adenomyosis, fibroids, pelvic inflammatory disease, and irritable bowel syndrome.
Find out the symptoms of endometriosis below and when to see a GP.
[boxout headline=”Signs you could have endometriosis “]ENDOMETRIOSIS is where cells similar to those in the lining of the womb (uterus) grow in other parts of the body.
Symptoms happen when patches of endometriosis break down and bleed during your period but cannot leave your body.
You might have some symptoms during your period, such as:
- severe period pain, that stops you from doing your normal activities
- heavy periods, where you need to change your pads or tampons every one to two hours, or you may bleed through to your clothes.
- pain when you poo or pee
You can have other symptoms at any time in your menstrual cycle, such as:
- pain in your lower tummy and back (pelvic area)
- pain during or after sex
- extreme tiredness (fatigue)
- pain or bleeding in other areas, such as in the chest, which may cause shortness of breath and coughing up blood
You may also have difficulty getting pregnant and have low mood or anxiety.
See your GP if:
- you think you might have endometriosis
- your symptoms are affecting your everyday life, work and relationships
- you’ve had treatment from a GP but your symptoms do not get better, or get worse
Source: NHS