Canadian Women Turn to Mexico for Endometriosis Care Amid Domestic Wait Times
Facing years-long diagnostic delays and surgical wait lists in Canada's public health system, a growing number of Canadian women are traveling to Tijuana, Mexico, for private endometriosis treatment. A November 2025 House of Commons report found the country is doing a 'poor' job managing the condition, which affects one in ten women.
A growing number of Canadian women are traveling to Tijuana, Mexico, to receive private treatment for endometriosis, citing severe delays within Canada's public health care system. A November 2025 report by the House of Commons health committee concluded that Canada is doing a "poor" job providing care for the condition, which affects one in 10 women and costs the Canadian economy an estimated $2.5 billion annually in lost productivity.
The average time to diagnose endometriosis in Canada is five years, with some patients waiting up to 20 years. Following a diagnosis, patients face an additional six to 18 months on average to see a specialist and up to 24 months for surgery. Dr. Jorge Zavala, co-founder of the Tijuana-based clinic EndoGlobal, attributes these diagnostic delays to a general lack of awareness among doctors regarding the condition.
Dr. Nicholas Leyland, president of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada, pointed to gender bias as a contributing factor, stating that similar pain levels in men would have been addressed much sooner.
Patients like Noelle Menu and Vanessa Papiernik have incurred significant personal debt to access care abroad. Menu traveled to EndoGlobal for private treatment that cost approximately $35,000, including travel and accommodation. Papiernik faced a two-year total wait in Vancouver—one year to see a specialist and another year for surgery—before choosing to seek treatment in Mexico. More than 30 Canadian women were receiving treatment at EndoGlobal within the same timeframe as Papiernik and Menu.
In response to the committee report, the federal government directed Statistics Canada to gather data on endometriosis from September 28 through January 15, 2027. Between 2020 and 2025, the Canadian Institute of Health Research invested $4.9 million in endometriosis research.