“Because I was too young they dismissed me”
A Northern Ireland woman who thought she just had ‘heavy periods’ discovered she actually had ‘two wombs’.
The medical condition – called complete bicorporeal uterus – occurs where the uterus has a deep external indentation at the top which creates two distinct heart-shaped uterine cavities that are fully separated by a wall of tissue.
Ellie Curran, 21, started her period aged 12 and would leak through sanitary products and couldn’t leave the house due to intense pain. Doctors removed her appendix when she was 19 but found it had not ruptured – instead finding what they believed to be an extra womb.
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After further scans doctors “didn’t know for sure” whether Ellie’s uterus was completely split into two – uterus didelphys – or was one uterus that had an indentation, called a bicoporeal uterus.
She technically only has one womb but it is split into two cavities. Due to her young age Ellie was discharged but would continue to ring her doctors every few months in pain – visiting A&E three to four times per year.
But in December 2025 a laparoscopic surgery confirmed she had a complete bicorporeal uterus along with two cervixes. Doctors also found endometriosis wrapped around her bowel, with the bowel itself being stuck between her uterus.
It was deemed too dangerous to remove Ellie’s endometriosis-created cells, but she is now on a wait list for an MRI to determine what stage the condition is at, and will have a follow-up appointment from her surgery in May.
Ellie, a call centre worker, from Derry, said: “I started my period aged 12.
“I had crazy pain and was leaking through everything. I thought maybe this is what a bad period is meant to feel like.
“I had my appendix removed – it didn’t erupt but they removed it. They [doctors] said there seems to be two uterus’ but didn’t say too much. They weren’t too sure what was going on.
“Because I was too young they dismissed me. I’ve struggled with my periods ever since.”
Ellie found her pain to be interfering with her work life at a call centre, as she found she had to go to the toilet “every two seconds” while on her period.
She said: “It affects my daily life. I have no social life whilst I’m on it [her period] because it’s too sore to go out of the house.”
After countless A&E trips Ellie was referred for laparoscopic surgery to investigate and determine exactly what condition her uterus was in January 2025.
While on the waiting list she paid for a private scan in October which appeared to show she had two cervixes. She was diagnosed with premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) in November 2025 and surgery in December confirmed her bicorporeal uterus diagnosis.
Doctors also discovered endometriosis which is wrapped around her bowel.
“They think I might have an extra kidney too,” she said.
“They did say I’ll have an MRI to check what stage my endometriosis is at. At birth this condition kind of happened.
It’s weird, I’ve never met anyone with this condition. Obviously I do want to have kids quite soon but getting told different things is hard.
“Because of the two uterus cavities, my left one is bigger than my right so I would have to fall pregnant on my left to be more safe.
“When I went for my surgery they did say the whole point of the surgery was to remove my endometriosis but didn’t because it was too dangerous. My friends and family are really shocked, it’s so uncommon.
“It’s constantly in my head ‘how has this thing happened to me’”.
Ellie’s next appointment with gynaecology will discuss future treatment plans.
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