How the VA Rates Endometriosis
The VA rates endometriosis under Diagnostic Code 7629 (38 CFR §4.116, Schedule of Ratings: Gynecological Conditions), on a three-tier scale of 10%, 30%, or 50%, depending on how much continuous treatment your symptoms require and whether the disease has spread beyond the reproductive organs.
Diagnostic Code 7629 Rating Criteria
- 50%: lesions involving the bowel or bladder, confirmed by laparoscopy, with pelvic pain or heavy or irregular bleeding not controlled by treatment, and bowel or bladder symptoms.
- 30%: pelvic pain or heavy or irregular bleeding that requires continuous treatment to control.
- 10%: pelvic pain or heavy or irregular bleeding that is not controlled by continuous treatment.
Endometriosis is one of the few VA diagnostic codes where a laparoscopic diagnosis changes which rating is even available. Without a laparoscopy-confirmed diagnosis showing bowel or bladder involvement, the schedule caps a claim at 30%, regardless of how severe the pain and bleeding are on their own.
Uterine Fibroids and VA Disability
Uterine fibroids, or leiomyomas, do not carry the same laparoscopy-driven rating scale as endometriosis. They are typically rated under 38 CFR §4.116's general symptomatic uterine disease criteria, most often cited as Diagnostic Code 7621, which scores symptomatic uterine disease at 0%, 10%, or 30% based on whether continuous treatment is required to control symptoms such as heavy bleeding or pelvic pain. If fibroids required a hysterectomy or another surgical removal, the claim instead falls under the surgical-residual codes in the same section, which account for the loss of the organ itself.
Fibroids and endometriosis can coexist. A veteran with both conditions typically files them as separate claims, each evaluated under its own criteria, then combined using VA math rather than rated as one condition.
Secondary Conditions of Endometriosis
Endometriosis frequently drives secondary conditions that are separately compensable once a doctor connects them to the primary diagnosis. Chronic, cyclical pelvic pain is a recognized risk factor for depression and anxiety, and a mental health claim filed as secondary to service-connected endometriosis needs a doctor's opinion linking the two conditions. A general statement that pain is stressful is not enough on its own.
Gastrointestinal symptoms are another common overlap. Endometriosis lesions near the bowel can produce symptoms that mimic or worsen irritable bowel syndrome, and the two conditions are frequently diagnosed together in the same patient. A gastroenterology evaluation addressing whether the GI symptoms are separate from, or driven by, the endometriosis strengthens a secondary claim.
Infertility itself is not a rated VA disability, but VA provides fertility counseling and treatment benefits on a separate track from disability compensation. A claims representative or Veterans Service Officer (VSO) can point veterans toward those benefits, since eligibility runs on different rules than a DC 7629 rating.
When an Endometriosis Claim Gets Denied
Endometriosis claims are frequently denied for a lack of an in-service diagnosis, since many veterans are not formally diagnosed until years after they leave service, when symptoms have worsened enough to prompt a laparoscopy. A denial on this basis is not necessarily the final word. A continuity-of-symptoms statement describing pelvic pain or irregular bleeding that started during service, combined with a private doctor's opinion that today's diagnosis is consistent with that history, can support a claim even without an in-service diagnosis on record.
A second common denial reason is a rating capped at 10% or 30% because the record does not clearly show whether treatment controls the symptoms. Medical records that simply list a medication, without noting whether it worked, leave a rater to guess. A treatment note stating plainly whether pelvic pain and bleeding are controlled, worsening, or unresponsive to the current regimen closes that gap.
Endometriosis and Hysterectomy
Some veterans with severe endometriosis eventually undergo a hysterectomy, the surgical removal of the uterus, when other treatments fail to control symptoms. A hysterectomy performed for endometriosis moves the rating out of DC 7629 and into the surgical-residual codes in 38 CFR §4.116 that address removal of the uterus and, depending on the surgery, one or both ovaries. Those codes carry their own rating criteria tied to the extent of the surgery, reflecting that a hysterectomy is a permanent change to the underlying condition rather than a temporary one. A veteran considering this surgery should discuss the rating implications with a VSO or accredited claims agent before the procedure, since the rating pathway changes once the surgery occurs.
Evidence for an Endometriosis Claim
- A laparoscopy report, if you have one. This is the single most valuable document in an endometriosis claim: a laparoscopy report can move a rating from the 30% ceiling to 50%.
- Gynecology records documenting the treatment history: hormonal therapy, pain medication, or surgical intervention, and whether symptoms persisted despite that treatment.
- A symptom log covering at least one full menstrual cycle, noting pain severity, bleeding pattern, and any days of missed work or activity.
- Records of any related bowel or bladder symptoms, and any specialist evaluation addressing whether they stem from the endometriosis.
Nexus: Connecting Endometriosis to Service
- In-service onset: service treatment records documenting pelvic pain, irregular bleeding, or a gynecological evaluation during service.
- Continuity of symptoms: a personal statement describing when symptoms began and how they progressed since service is often the deciding piece of evidence, because endometriosis is frequently diagnosed years after symptoms first start.
- Secondary conditions: depression, anxiety, or GI symptoms that developed because of endometriosis pain can be filed as secondary claims once the primary condition is service-connected.
What to Expect at Your C&P Exam
The C&P exam for endometriosis is a gynecological history and symptom review. It is not typically a new laparoscopy, so any prior surgical diagnosis needs to already be in your records before the exam.
- Bring copies of any laparoscopy report, imaging, or biopsy results confirming the diagnosis.
- Describe your current treatment and whether it controls your symptoms, since "controlled by continuous treatment" versus "not controlled" is the line between the 10% and 30% tiers.
- Mention any bowel or bladder symptoms specifically, since those drive eligibility for the 50% tier.
- Note any secondary mental health or GI symptoms you plan to file separately.
2026 Monthly Compensation by Rating
At the 2026 rates for a single veteran with no dependents, a 10% endometriosis rating pays $180.42 a month, a 30% rating pays $552.47, and a 50% rating pays $1,132.90. See the full 2026 VA compensation rate chart for every tier and dependent scenario.
Use the VA disability rating calculator to see how endometriosis and its secondary conditions combine, or browse every rated condition at VA disability.