I WAS recently diagnosed with endometriosis after having extremely painful periods since I first started menstruating.
Actually, it wasn’t a true diagnosis as the only way to know for sure is through keyhole surgery which doctors don’t seem to want to do, deeming an ultrasound and internal examination proof enough. Every month for as long as I can remember I would have to take time off school and work as I was essentially bed-bound – or more accurately, I had to create a bed in the bathroom as my cramps were so bad that I was constantly sick.
Every few months I would end up fainting with how bad the pain was, but none of my doctors ever took it seriously enough, even though it was clearly impacting my quality of life. A 16-year-old shouldn’t be missing classes in the run up to exams, an 18-year-old shouldn’t have to miss out on fun times with friends and a 20-year-old shouldn’t have to pull over on their way to work to be sick due to pain, because they don’t want to have to call in sick again.
Throwing painkillers and birth control at young women and telling them what they’re experiencing is ‘normal’ is not good enough, and something needs to change.
