Travel Insurance for Endometriosis

What is endometriosis?

Endometriosis happens when tissue similar to the lining of the womb grows in other places, like the ovaries and the fallopian tubes. This tissue can spread further, however, affecting a person's bowel or bladder. Like the lining of the womb, this tissue breaks down and bleeds during a menstrual cycle.

It’s a long-term condition, listed with our other medical conditions, and it causes pelvic pain, painful or heavy periods, fatigue, and bowel or bladder symptoms. Some people have mild symptoms, but for others the pain is severe enough to disrupt work and daily life.

Treatment might include painkillers, hormone treatment, or surgery to remove patches of tissue, and in some cases a total hysterectomy. The NHS page on endometriosis covers diagnosis and treatment options in more depth.

Why do I need to declare endometriosis for travel insurance?

Endometriosis is a long-term condition, so it’s classed as pre-existing. Pain can flare without much warning, and a severe episode abroad may mean an emergency visit, scans, or even an operation. A flare just before you leave could also force you to cancel. Declaring it means your policy reflects the full picture of your health. If endometriosis isn’t on your policy and you claim for something connected to it, that claim could be declined or paid at a lower amount.

You won’t need to declare every medical condition you’ve ever had or been diagnosed with, only those that fall into the initial set of medical questions.

Can I get travel insurance with endometriosis?

Yes, plenty of people with endometriosis find cover is available. Whether it’s offered tends to depend on how settled your symptoms have been, so a recent operation, a hospital admission, complications like ovarian cysts (endometriomas) or bowel involvement, or being on a waiting list for surgery may all affect the outcome.

What we’ll ask about your endometriosis

It only takes a few minutes to get through the online medical screening. The questions about your endometriosis focus on the treatment you’re on and whether you’ve had or are waiting for surgery. Once that’s done, carry on declaring any other relevant pre-existing medical conditions.

Once everything is declared, you’ll reach the quote page. If cover is available for your endometriosis and your other conditions, you’ll see a choice of quotes, each with the cost of your medical cover included in the premium. Should we be unable to cover you, you’ll know before proceeding.

If your health changes before travelling

Endometriosis symptoms can change from month to month. If, before your trip, you start or switch hormone treatment, you have an emergency admission, you’re put on a surgical waiting list, or you receive a new diagnosis, you must let us know. Your cover might need another look, your medical situation may have to go to the underwriters, and in some cases we may not be able to continue with cover. A future claim can be affected or denied if a change in your medical isn’t reported.

What can endometriosis travel insurance cover?

If endometriosis has been accepted, emergency medical care abroad can be covered when symptoms flare badly. Picture a holiday in Greece where pain becomes unmanageable and you need hospital treatment. The treatment can be covered, and if doctors decide you should come home with medical support, repatriation can be too. This is all subject to the policy terms, exclusions, limits and excess.

There’s also cancellation cover. If a bad flare or an unexpected operation date means your doctor says you shouldn’t go, you may be able to recover non-refundable costs.

A policy won’t pay for planned or elective treatment overseas, and it won’t pay out for conditions that weren’t declared.

Will endometriosis affect the cost of travel insurance?

Endometriosis may add something to your premium. Exactly what depends on the answers you give in our online screening, where you may be asked how your endometriosis is treated and how well your symptoms are controlled. General details such as age, destination and trip length are part of the picture too. Once the screening is done, the price appears on screen before you commit to anything.

Single trip or annual cover with endometriosis

A one-off holiday usually suits single trip insurance. Travel a few times a year and annual travel insurance could be simpler. Whether annual cover is available depends on how your screening goes.

Travelling with endometriosis: practical tips

These general tips may help. They don’t form part of your policy.

Think about when your period is likely to fall. If you know your worst days, you might plan a quieter part of the trip around them, or avoid a long-haul flight on those dates. Some people talk to their GP or specialist about whether their hormone treatment can be adjusted for travel, but that’s a medical decision and not one to make on your own.

Pack more pain relief than you think you’ll need, in your hand luggage. Brand names differ abroad, and some stronger painkillers, such as codeine, are controlled in certain countries. Our guide to travelling abroad with medication explains how to check. A heat pad can be a real comfort on a long journey, and stick-on heat patches are easy to pack for the flight.

Book an aisle seat so you can get up and move or reach the toilet easily. On long days of sightseeing, build in somewhere to sit and rest, and try not to schedule activities back to back.

If bowel symptoms are part of your endometriosis, be a bit careful with food and water hygiene in places where tummy bugs are common, as a stomach upset on top of a flare is miserable. People with IBS as well as endometriosis should declare both.

How to get a quote

Add your trip details, go through the endometriosis questions and anything else you need to declare, then choose your cover. The price is shown before you buy.

Get a Quote

Other Useful Other Medical Pages

• Allergies Travel Insurance
• Anaphylaxis Travel Insurance
• Angioedema Travel Insurance
• Chronic Pain Syndrome Travel Insurance
• Disability Travel Insurance
• Endometriosis Travel Insurance
• Fibroids Travel Insurance
• Heat Exhaustion and Heatstroke Travel Insurance
• Pelvic Inflammatory Disease Travel Insurance
• Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Travel Insurance
• Post-Viral Fatigue Travel Insurance

Don't worry if your condition is not listed above - we cover plenty more medical conditions.
* Please note that cover will vary depending on individual medical screenings.