A survey of more than 600 endometriosis patients found a third were advised by a doctor to get pregnant to relieve their symptoms.

The findings come in two reports published as part of Barriers and Facilitators of Endometriosis Care in Aotearoa New Zealand, a research project from Endometriosis New Zealand and the University of Canterbury.

It also confirmed people with endometriosis in New Zealand experienced a median wait of 10 years from the onset of symptoms to diagnosis.

Previously published findings showed a lack of awareness could delay this diagnosis further to 11 years.

Endometriosis New Zealand chief executive Tanya Cooke said the pregnancy finding was particularly concerning.

"Pregnancy is not a treatment for endometriosis and no medical practitioner should recommend that someone become pregnant simply to relieve their endometriosis symptoms," she said.

"Whether to have children is an intensely personal decision. It should never be presented as a treatment plan for endometriosis or other forms of pelvic pain.

"That one-third of participants in the study had received this advice shows that an outdated understanding of endometriosis remains in our health system."

The study authors noted: "Pregnancy does not reduce the size or number of endometriosis lesions, and such a suggestion is incredibly inappropriate and intimidating for patients, who may experience this suggestion at very young ages."

"Furthermore, from this current study, pregnancy for women with endometriosis was only effective at reducing symptoms in 51.3 percent of cases and pregnancy for endometriosis patients has been shown to increase the risk of obstetric complications, including pre-term birth, pre-eclampsia and haemorrhage."

Cooke said it re-inforced the need for improved education and training for primary health professionals, who diagnosed and treated endometriosis.

Painful periods, fatigue and lower-back pain were the most commonly reported symptoms experienced by participants in this part of the study.

While 86 percent were advised by a doctor to use over-the-counter pain relief, such as paracetamol, only about a quarter found these medications effective.

The study also examined complementary and alternative therapies. No individual therapy was considered effective by more than 70 percent of those who had tried that therapy.

Cooke said there was no one-size-fits-all solution.

For more than half of participants, relief was the main emotion they experienced upon diagnosis - relief at finally having an answer.

Lead researcher Katherine Ellis, a PhD candidate at the University of Canterbury, said a diagnosis was a major challenge in itself, but having that confirmation did not necessarily mean the difficulties were over.

"The experiences described in this research demonstrate why patients must be listened to, properly informed and actively involved in decisions about their care."