March: Endometriosis Awareness Month

Endometriosis is a serious condition which affects 1 in 10 people with a womb.

 
It is the name of a condition where uterine-like tissue grows outside of the uterus, usually on pelvic organs like fallopian tubes or the bowel. This tissue behaves like the uterine lining, causing monthly breakdown and bleeding, leading to pain, inflammation, and internal scarring.

The condition is chronic, meaning it is continuous and recurrent.  A wide variety of symptoms has been shown to severely impact a sufferer’s education, relationships, mental health, and overall quality of life. From pelvic pain and fatigue, to depression and trouble conceiving, it’s important to raise awareness to a condition which affects as many people daily as diabetes or asthma.

Endometriosis can take up to 8 years to diagnose, and there are endless stories online about the difficulties people experiencing this condition go through. These stories include all ages of women assigned female at birth, from 12 year olds in secondary school, to hopeful young adults looking to start a family, to women who believe they are on the brink of menopause. Statistics show that 58% of sufferers visited the GP over 10 times, and 27% went to A&E more than three times with symptoms.