Raising awareness for endometriosis in March

March is endometriosis awareness month, a time to increase understanding of the disease and raise awareness for those who are impacted.

Endometrioses affects one in nine people born with a uterus and is a whole-body disease.

The condition sees tissue similar to the uterus lining in places outside the uterus.

Kat Stanley is the director of Endo Help Foundation, an organisation dedicated to advocating and educating in the endometriosis space.

She said the disease is really debilitating and impacts so many facets of a person’s life.

“The best thing you can do if you’ve got someone with endo in your life is to listen to them and believe them and support them in the way that works best for them.”.

Ms Stanley said that recently there has been a massive change in awareness around the disease.

“There was a stigma around the discussion of anything to do with women’s health, or women’s reproduction or menstruation and I think that’s really starting to change.”

“Five to 10 years ago you wouldn’t have heard of the word endometriosis in the media, now we’re hearing it more and more, I think the awareness is changing, but unfortunately our diagnosis delay is still 6.4 years.”

Last month saw the Therapeutic Goods Administration approve a new drug to treat endometriosis, the first in 13 years.

Ms Stanley welcomed the new medication and said that anything that can help would make a huge difference to those suffering.

“If we can find a treatment it would mean that those people can go to school every day, they could finish their university degrees, they could work in the way that they want to.”

At the moment, the treatment is not listed as part of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, but a submission has been made for it to be considered at the March meeting.

The Kardinia Health Pelvic Pain and Endometriosis Clinic opened in Belmont in early February, with the goal of improving the quality of life of those with persistent pelvic pain and endometriosis, you do not need a diagnosis to attend the facility.

In January the Australian Government also announced an inquiry into women’s pain, which will address the challenges face by girls and women seeking care for their pain.

For more information on the disease or for support, head to endohelp.com.au