Every year during March, Endometriosis Awareness Month aims to fight the stigmatization around painful and often invisible conditions and raise awareness about endometriosis — a hidden, oftentimes severely painful condition, that even nowadays is often unrecognized despite its prevalence. Diagnostic delays, averaging between 6 to 9 years, with endometriosis is still an issue, and the more awareness the condition receives, the better it can be diagnosed and treated.

 

Endometriosis can affect anyone with female reproductive organs, including many transgender, non-binary and intersex people. For some trans and nonbinary people, going to the gynecologist can be extremely difficult due to gender dysphoria or the prejudices they often face in healthcare. This can make it hard for them to get proper help for endometriosis, as endometriosis is often talked about as a "women's only" condition and transgender identities can get ignored during research and treatments. It's extremely important for doctors and educational materials to remember and support trans and non-binary people who have endometriosis, as everyone deserves to feel safe and get the care they need.

 

• Do you or does someone you know have endometriosis?

• How does endometriosis affect your life?

 

If you want, feel free to share your story or ask questions here

 

Frequently Asked Questions

 

What is endometriosis?

A chronic condition where tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows outside of it. It can spread far inside the body, especially when untreated, and cause severe pain.

 

How common is it?

It affects roughly 190 million people worldwide — so about 10% of people who are assigned female at birth!

 

What are the symptoms?

The symptoms can be different for everyone. For example, it can cause:

- Severely painful periods

- Pain in your abdominal, pelvic, genital, or other areas

- Infertility

- Abdominal bloating

- Pain during or after sex

- Painful bowel movements or urination

- Heavy or irregular periods

- Bleeding between periods

- Fatigue

- Nausea, diarrhea, or constipation

 

How is it diagnosed?

Endometriosis is commonly tested by a pelvic exam, ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or surgery (often laparoscopy). For some people, it can take multiple different tests before it's found.

 

How is it treated?

There is no cure for endometriosis, and so the treatment focuses on easing the symptoms, which is why the treatment is different for everyone depending on the severity of their symptoms. Common treatments are hormone therapy, different pain relief methods, laparoscopy and hysterectomy. Some people with endometriosis can also need mobility aids due to their painful condition.

 

How can I help?

• Dress up in endometriosis awareness color yellow this month.

• Educate yourself: Learn more about endometriosis and its impact on individuals.

• Raise Awareness: Spread awareness and share information about endometriosis, including its symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment options, on social media or in your community.

• Be Supportive: If you know someone with endometriosis, offer them your support and understanding. Listen to their experiences, validate their feelings, and help them access resources. Even if you can’t see someone’s pain, it can be there!

• Support Organizations: Volunteer or donate if you can. Many organizations work to empower and help individuals with endometriosis, and advocate for better healthcare and research funding.

• Share Your Story: If you have personal experience with endometriosis or know someone who does, consider sharing your story. Your experiences and insights can help others feel less alone and raise awareness about the impact of the condition.

 

SUMMARY 

• Endometriosis is a chronic, painful condition that affects millions of people.

• Everyone deserves supportive healthcare for endometriosis, regardless of gender identity.

• The color yellow represents endometriosis.

• Despite being so common, it often takes years to diagnose.

• Common signs of endometriosis are painful periods, pelvic pain, fatigue, and infertility.

• Endometriosis can't be cured, so the treatments focus on easing the symptoms.

• Believe people with chronic pain when they tell you about it, and don't dismiss their symptoms!

Take this goTest to test your knowledge on endometriosis! There will be a small surprise at the end…

 

With love,
The Inclusivity Group