Endometriosis and ADHD: Exploring an Overlooked Connection
For many women+, living with endometriosis already means navigating chronic pain, fatigue, brain fog, and emotional strain — often while feeling dismissed or misunderstood. Increasingly, research is suggesting that for some, these experiences may overlap with neurodivergence, particularly Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).
While endometriosis and ADHD are distinct conditions, emerging evidence shows they may co-occur more often than previously recognised. Understanding this connection can open the door to more compassionate, whole-person care — and fewer missed or delayed diagnoses.
What does the research show?
Population and clinical studies have found that women+ with endometriosis report higher rates of ADHD traits and diagnoses compared with the general population. Similarly, women+ with ADHD appear to have an increased likelihood of being diagnosed with endometriosis.
Importantly, this does not mean one condition causes the other. Instead, researchers believe they may share underlying biological, hormonal, and social factors that increase the likelihood of overlap.
Shared pathways: why might these conditions intersect?
1. Neuroinflammation and central sensitisation
Endometriosis is increasingly understood as a condition involving chronic inflammation and central nervous system sensitisation — where the brain and spinal cord become more reactive to pain signals.
ADHD has also been linked to altered neuroinflammatory processes and differences in brain signalling. Chronic inflammation may influence attention, emotional regulation, sensory processing, and pain perception — all areas relevant to both conditions.
2. Hormones and dopamine
Hormones play a key role in both endometriosis and ADHD.
Oestrogen influences:
endometrial tissue growth and inflammation
pain severity and flare patterns
dopamine regulation in the brain (critical for attention, motivation, and executive function)
Fluctuations across the menstrual cycle, perimenopause, and menopause can intensify both endometriosis symptoms and ADHD traits, making daily functioning more challenging.
3. Pain, fatigue and cognitive load
Living with chronic pelvic pain often means disrupted sleep, persistent fatigue, and high mental load — all of which can worsen executive dysfunction, memory difficulties, and emotional regulation.
For some women+, ADHD traits may only become apparent once pain becomes chronic, or when the cognitive and emotional demands of managing illness exceed existing coping strategies.
4. Diagnostic bias and delayed recognition
Both endometriosis and ADHD are historically underdiagnosed in women+.
Common experiences include:
symptoms being attributed to anxiety or stress
being told pain is “normal”
emotional dysregulation being mislabelled as mood disorders
long delays before appropriate referral or diagnosis
When both conditions coexist, symptoms may be fragmented across specialties — pelvic pain addressed in one setting, cognitive or emotional symptoms in another — without anyone connecting the dots.
What this means for care
Recognising the overlap between endometriosis and ADHD doesn’t mean every person with pelvic pain is neurodivergent, or vice versa. But it does mean that persistent symptoms deserve a broader lens.
For women+ experiencing:
chronic pelvic pain
sensory overload
brain fog
difficulty with focus or organisation
emotional reactivity
burnout or overwhelm
…it may be worth exploring both physical and neurocognitive contributors — together, not in isolation.
The Elgin House perspective
At Elgin House, we believe health doesn’t live in silos.
Pain affects the nervous system. Hormones affect the brain. Inflammation affects everything.
Supporting women+ means:
believing symptoms early
acknowledging complexity
considering neurodivergence in reproductive health
offering trauma-informed, whole-person care
Understanding the potential link between endometriosis and ADHD is one more step toward care that truly sees the whole person — not just isolated symptoms.
References & Further Reading
Journal of Psychosomatic Obstetrics & Gynecology — Neurodevelopmental disorders and endometriosis prevalence
Human Reproduction — Central sensitisation and inflammation in endometriosis
Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience — Sex hormones, dopamine, and ADHD
The Lancet Psychiatry — Sex differences and delayed diagnosis of ADHD
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) — Endometriosis and women’s health reports
Pain Reports — Chronic pain, cognition, and executive dysfunction