Endometriosis Awareness Month: Why We Should All Be Talking About It
In a drop🩸 : Endometriosis awareness month has already begun (yesterday!), and we’re dedicating this month to endo—a chronic condition that affects 1 in 10 women (and possibly more!) and takes, on average, 7 to 9 years to diagnose. Yes, years.
What is endometriosis?
Endometriosis (also known as “endo”) is a chronic condition where tissue similar to, but not the same as, the lining of your uterus grows in other parts of the body—on the reproductive organs, bladder, bowels, lungs, and more.
Every month, this tissue reacts just like the lining of your womb (check out our menstrual cycle intro if you need a refresher!). But unlike a period, this blood and tissue has no way to exit the body.
The result? Inflammation, congestion, and an immune response that can lead to pain, scarring, adhesions (organs sticking together—yep, horrifying), and even organ dysfunction.
This Week’s Podcast: Jasmin Harsono on Her Endo Journey
This week, Jasmin Harsono kicks off our podcast series on endo. She shares her 20-year journey to diagnosis, the impact of painful sex, and how she ended up in A&E before a doctor was willing to take her symptoms seriously—on her wedding anniversary. There were moments in this conversation where I just wanted to hug her through the screen.
5 Facts About Endometriosis That Might Outrage You
1🩸Between 2019 and 2023, erectile dysfunction received six times more funding than endometriosis. (Yes, SIX times!!! ) (WEF & McKinsey, 2024)
2🩸The gold standard for diagnosing endo is still laparoscopic surgery. That’s right, in 2024, the best way to confirm endo is by literally cutting someone open. 1 in 10 women have this, and yet, we still don’t have a non-invasive diagnostic tool?! (We’ll let Jasmin tell you more about her surgery on the pod—prepare to be shocked.)
3🩸 Hormonal treatments aren’t a cure. (and neither is getting pregnant!) Many doctors prescribe birth control or hormone therapy to "manage" symptoms, but they don’t get rid of endometriosis—they just suppress it. Once you stop the treatment, symptoms often return. Or they suggest getting pregnant (wild?!) because this can soothe endo symptoms.
4 🩸Endo isn’t just a “bad period.” Pain can last all month, affect digestion, urination, sex, and even fertility. It’s also been found outside the reproductive system, including the lungs, diaphragm, and even the brain. (I know, WTF?! )
5🩸 Black women and women of colour are diagnosed even later. Studies show that racial bias and medical gaslighting lead to even longer delays in diagnosis and treatment for Black, Latina, and Asian women (US & UK studies). The system is failing so many of us, and this needs to change.
We've just released a full endometriosis section, to help you understand more about endo (paid). Just like the rest of our menstrual cycle guide it's fun, informative, and medically-verified - go check it out!!
