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There are 40,000 obygns in America and only 100 endometriosis excision specialists to the 8M women and people AFAB that suffer from endometriosis.
Did You Know?
Due to the lack of education amongst practitioners, mistreatments like opioids, NSAID's, chemically induced menopause, preventable hysterectomies and even childbirth are suggested as medical solutions.
At 11, I became disabled from my endometriosis, my mom bought me a walker and I had to be homeschooled from bullying.
I was told my pain was part of being a woman.
I was misdiagnosed with acute appendicitis by 12.
At 13, during my appendix removal surgery they found my organs were glued and too obstructed to save. I had my entire colon, appendix, rectum and large intestine removed.
At 15, I had ovarian cysts the size of tennis balls removed and part of my left fallopian tube.At 21, I had a hysterectomy because I was promised I would never have endometriosis again. I had all of my symptoms return 5 months later. I was mortified and ignored. My doctor and 17 others told me it was impossible to still have endometriosis.
No one believed me.
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90% of patients with endometriosis want
mental health support but are never offered it.
72% were not given any written information when diagnosed, leaving them without the knowledge and advice they need to make informed choices about their healthcareThese conditions vary from bipolar disorder,anxiety, depression, IBS, Chrohns,
Did You Know?
Yearly, more than 100,000 women and people AFAB undergo hysterectomies as a primary diagnosis. With 10,000 of them amongst 25-29 year olds. Only around 12% of endometriosis patients will require a hysterectomy. That's 88,000 preventable hysterectomies a year.
1 in 4 people with endometriosis have contemplated suicide.
I've been suffering since I was 9, I had to go to Europe to be taken seriously, I'm from America. At the age of 25 I found out I hade stage 4 endometriosis.
I had a 5 day surgery and had to get my fallopian tubes and part of my bowel removed.
No one believed me.
Amanda, 31
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Although endometriosis symptoms were first documented in the Ebers Papyri (one of the oldest known medical works) during 1550BC. and is the second most common gynaecological issue, it is still a greatly misunderstood disease amongst practitioners, patients and society.
Endometriosis has an average 11+ year diagnostic wait time. Even longer for women of colour, transgender and non-binary people. 6 in 10 cases often remain undiagnosed.
In the time that it takes to be diagnosed with endometriosis you could fly to the moon 456 times,
run 14,231 marathons or climb Mount Everest 45 times.
Did You Know?
III
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Being a black woman with endometriosis since the age of 11 has had me contemplate my existence for the past 20 years.
I am constantly ignored, denied and neglected. Every specialist or doctor I've had told me that my pain was normal, that it's just in my head or hands me another prescription to numb me. Some even told me I was attention seeking. At 25, after being
bed ridden with non stop bleeding for 4 months, I finally saw an endometriosis specialist. It was less than 10 minutes after being on a 2 year waitlist. He looked me up and down and told me I looked fine, my previous scans were normal (denied me new scans) and that it was bad enough out there for people like me to be bringing unwarranted chaos into my life. I could barely get a word in because he left the room. I was beyond shocked, confused, heartbroken and disgusted. The secretary came to check on me and guide me out because I guess I sat too long in the room crying in disbelief.
I’ve lost so many jobs, friends, partners and opportunities because I’m in excruciating pain all the time. Some days I can’t even fake being ok. Most days I can't move and have to crawl to the bathroom. I live trapped in my body.
After the passing of Aubrion Rogers, I'm terrified for my life.
No one believed me.
No one believed her.
Chelsea, 38