Secrecy, silence, shame, and pain
Our founder used the launch of her new book to bash the lack of period education in schools that leads to a lifetime of disadvantage for some girls.
In her polemic “Endometriosis In Primary Care” Dr Anita Sharma claims that ignorance around menstruation means females are unable to manage their bodies – and consequently miss school, suffer long-term mental health issues and are more susceptible to painful gynaecological problems later in life.
Said Dr Sharma: “The current deficiency in quality menstrual education results in confusion, inaccurate beliefs about and negative views around periods. There are girls who simply do not know what is happening to them and are afraid to talk, and some cultures still view periods with stigma and shame. If a girl is not even aware of her own cycle, how does she check for cancers, uterine cysts, endometriosis and even pregnancy? Education need to happen at the earliest available opportunity, if we want to stop lives being ruined, perhaps irrevocably.”
Dr Sharma pointed to a New Zealand scheme that ran menstrual education programmes in primary schools. This resulted in an increase in the awareness of gynaecological conditions and greater participation in healthcare initiatives.
Here in the UK though, nearly half of secondary schools have no menstrual education provision AT ALL and 23% of staff were uncomfortable teaching the subject.
Charting the length of the monthly cycle, what heavy bleeding can mean and where to get support were absolute musts in any teaching said Dr Sharma. School nurses, pastoral support teams and parent and governor groups also needed to be involved.
The issue of women’s health inequalities pervades throughout, “Endometriosis in Primary Care.” Other chapters include knowing the symptoms of endometriosis, what surgery you might need for endo and the impact (or otherwise) of Britain’s first Women’s Health Strategy. The book also features case studies on those with the condition.
Dr Sharma concluded: “We still have a long way to go when it comes to period education across the UK. We face the danger of failing to help girls prepare, manage, and understand physical and emotional symptoms when menstruating. High quality, timely and taboo-free menstrual education is vital!”
Endo warriors bearing the brunt of infertility
Can women with endo conceive? And why does IVF have less of a successful impact on them than others?
One of the North West’s leading fertility consultants shares her knowledge in a blog on our website, which is not to be missed – https://endometriosisawarenessnorth.com/blogs/f/endo-warriors-still-bearing-the-brunt-of-infertility
Dr Karolina Palinska-Rudzka, Consultant Gynaecologist and accredited Sub-specialist in Reproductive Medicine spoke at one of our free webinars, recently.
And with her blog, she makes an equally important impact – thanks Karolina!
If you are a medic and want to help raise awareness of endometriosis, drop us a line.
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.