A woman who has struggled with undiagnosed endometriosis for 10 years urged patients not to suppress their health needs in the workplace.

After being diagnosed in 2019, 27-year-old fashion designer Roya Rasouli shared his story with herself on a hospital bed.

She said she vowed to speak out as part of her personal mission to help others and call for better workplace support.

“It broke my heart to keep women behind closed doors and deal with it,” she said.

Endometriosis is a condition in which cells similar to the inner lining of the uterus grow in other parts of the body, causing severe pain.

Ms. Lasoli, from Manchester, said she had been from a doctor to a doctor for a decade before she was diagnosed and underwent surgery.

"I've met about 30 expert gynecologists and no one found out what it was," she said.

“Everyone has a different perspective because all my scans and MRI results are clear.

“Once, I started to doubt myself and I started to think maybe it was just me.

“I just feel very strange and isolated, alone, like no one can make me.”

One area that has been affected throughout her life is her work.

Ms. Lasori said the workplace doesn’t always understand or support her situation.

“Some people just don’t understand that when the workplace isn’t diverse, open and inclusive, it’s hard,” she said.

Ginisha Vekaria, a workplace menstrual welfare program manager for endometriosis in the UK, said: “One in six people may consider giving up their jobs.

“It’s not because they can’t get the job done, but because they can miss the job, so it’s back to that knowledge and back to support.”

The Employment Rights Act is currently in parliament, which means large employers will need to develop support plans for reproductive health.

But at the same time, Ms. Lasoli hopes that her work will make a difference.

She has since founded Femwear, a fashion brand designed to provide comfortable clothing for women with gynecological health and gut conditions.

She wants to share her story to show other women that “possible success” despite health challenges.

“Since I was in the hospital bed in 2019, I vowed to remain silent for 200 million women around the world,” she said.

“We have to lift each other and open up and say ‘It’s okay, life sucks, life’s pain’, there’s no cure so far, but we can’t stop living.

“We have to apply for the job we dream of and owed it to ourselves.

“Endometriosis doesn’t define me, nor does it define your skills.”