We had the happy fortune of speaking to Khush Haal
They usually organise trips and walks, dispense healthy diet tips, and organise exercise and fitness classes.
And the Khush Haal (meaning “good fortune” in Urdu) group in East Manchester hosted our founder Dr Anita Sharma at an awareness raising event recently, called, “Endometriosis Don’t Suffer in Silence.”
Dr Anita spoke about the symptoms, treatment options and even lifestyle changes that can make a difference to a chronic blight that affects one-in-ten women.
With the profile of endometriosis thankfully rising, we have been asked to speak at groups as diverse as resident doctors to members of the Rotary Club and students studying media! Particularly ground-breaking has been our work with the South Asian diaspora, which has seen women really open-up about their health.
And we are always pleased to enlighten folks and even introduce them to endo warriors who live with the condition and act as such emotive ambassadors.
Please contact us if you would like someone to address your organisation – visit our CONTACTUS page for details.
Meanwhile, if you are fortunate to live in Broadoak, why not visit the weekly Khush Haal sessions – their email address is on the poster!
Teamwork and equity key to endo treatment
Kidney and bladder endometriosis is a chronic condition that can not be solved by a “ten-minute appointment with your GP.”
That was the view of specialist Ms Sujata Gupta, who encouraged anyone with endo-like symptoms to ask their doctor for a referral to an accredited test centre for the condition.
The Manchester Consultant Gynaecologist was speaking at our latest free monthly webinar, and she agreed with host Dr Anita Sharma who said: “Unfortunately, there is a postcode lottery, which greatly affects your treatment.” Ms Gupta added: “There is a North/South divide, and an 18-month wait for treatment is not acceptable.”
Although rare, endo cells can grow on vital organs – especially when in close proximity to the womb – causing severe pain. Continued Ms Gupta, “they can appear on the bladder, on the muscles of the bladder and inside of it. But complex conditions like this are rare, affecting one to two per cent of endometriosis patients.”
Ms Gupta also outlined surgical procedures, and revealed there were many pathways to treatment aside from gynaecology, including bowel and fertility specialists. She also claimed that successful outcomes were dependent on input from pain management and mental health experts.
Presentation slides from the webinar will be published here, shortly.
Church group becomes period product service
Women at a regular Saturday morning gathering at Hurst Methodist Church in Tameside Manchester, have joined us in the fight against period poverty.
During a visit from our founder Dr Anita Sharma, the group heard that an alarming number of mums are having to choose between feeding their families and buying basic hygiene products.
All of which prompted the women to distribute free sanitary items to members of their community.
In her second visit to the group following a successful recent fundraiser for our charity, Dr Sharma detailed how over a fifth of UK women are struggling with “period poverty” – up 12% since last year.
She then handed-over pads and other products donated to her by communities in Greater Manchester, including Rochdale and Oldham.
“I first met the Hurst Methodist group when they held a fundraising coffee morning to help women with the painful pelvic condition, endometriosis” said Dr Sharma. “I saw then that they were a tight-knit compassionate group of 60 women who could make an enormous contribution to tackling period poverty.
Archaic attitudes of shame around gynaecology and debt, mean this subject is rarely out in the open. So apart from the practical support, they are helping to increase awareness.”
UK food banks have reported massive demand for sanitary products over recent months. Aside from girls missing school because they are ashamed about being unable to manage their monthly cycle, Dr Sharma believes that there are real health dangers of serious infections when women use alternatives, such as handkerchiefs.
“Period poverty is caused by two things. Financial hardship obviously plays a part, but disregard for women’s health issues by politicians and society in general also contributes. This is the case with everything from cervical cancer screening to endometriosis diagnosis. No wonder that while men’s life expectancy is increasing, women’s has stagnated” continued Dr Sharma.
Schools, colleges, and other compassionate organisations have begun to distribute period products for free. But Dr Sharma believes they should be available cheaply and safely for all.
“Period poverty is actually an international problem and in parts of Africa, one in five women has no access to products” she concluded. “The first step in addressing this has to be to highlight the issue. A Tameside church group may seem like a small way to start but Hurst has just taken a huge step in telling their community that access to menstrual products is a basic HUMAN RIGHT.”
To learn more about the issue, visit our Info on PERIODPOVERTY page.
Rochdale – pride of endo awareness
Read our latest blog on the borough who have hosted book launches, coffee mornings, fundraising events and even gave us pride of place at a historic event. https://endometriosisawarenessnorth.com/blogs/f/%E2%80%98dale-takes-health-to-its-heart-again
Rochdale is famed for singers such as Lisa Stansfield and Gracie Fields. Which is perhaps why it has been such an effective voice on raising awareness!
Our blog charts all the support the Greater #Manchester town has given us – including letting us have a stand at their first ever Pride event – and offers this key challenge to every other UK community:
Can you do the same?
Fancy writing a blog on endometriosis? Drop us a line and get your voice heard.
Find out what we're really about, on film
Click onto our brand new movie, detailing what Endometriosis Awareness North is all about Endometriosis Awareness North - YouTube
Featuring our treasured case study Courtney, it also gives medics a platform to call for quicker diagnosis of endometriosis.
With thanks to filmmakers Andrea Bertozzi and Pete Gibson Media.
Donate
We are registered with The Charity Commission. Our charity number is 1212676.
You can do your bit to research a cure to endo and support the one-in-ten women with the condition by going to our DONATE page.