Endometriosis is REAL!

The issue

 

Endometriosis is a disease which effects 1 in 10 women, approximately 176 million. Its as common as Diabetes yet our government & health care "professionals" across the globe struggle to recognise it as a genuine illness. It is often referred to as a "silent epidemic".


It is something I am passionate about because it is something I live with. I was diagnosed 2 years ago and it is something that will effect me until the day I die.


Endo effects mainly the uterus and the surrounding organs including but not limited to; bowels, stomach, bladder, fallopian tubes and even the lungs. It causes chronic pain, extreme fatigue, chronic nausea (it's literally morning sickness without the baby), muscle & joint pain, painful periods, severe bloating, infertility + more. It was described to me as "it's like having rusty insides & as time goes on the rust builds and builds and the less functioning the organs become, until eventually they are useless". It is surgery every 6-12 months, being told you'll never have children at the age of 19 & morning painkillers just to get through the day. It is torture and it is real. These symptoms persist every single day of our lives, it is our "normal".

So I am calling on the Australian Government to have this disease recognised just like diabetes or asthma which are both equally as common & put an end to us jumping through hoops for a diagnosis. Provide more support to those of us who are torturing ourselves everyday by pushing through the pain. Please provide more funding to find a preventive treatment/cure. We need your help. We need funding & education so that we get the support and medical care that we deserve.

At the moment Australian women are being denied financial support, expected to pay thousands of dollars out of pocket for surgeries (that are only temporary may I add) and pay for expensive hormone treatments that may not even work. It is also not uncommon to go through 6-7 specialists before being taken seriously which is extremely disheartening. I think I speak for every sufferer when I say we are tired of being laughed out of doctors offices being told "it's all in your mind".

 

Please sign this petition and help me get this recognised for what it is.

Thank you xx 

avatar of the starter
Karlie WilkinsonPetition starter
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Confirmed victory
This petition made change with 109,953 supporters!

The issue

 

Endometriosis is a disease which effects 1 in 10 women, approximately 176 million. Its as common as Diabetes yet our government & health care "professionals" across the globe struggle to recognise it as a genuine illness. It is often referred to as a "silent epidemic".


It is something I am passionate about because it is something I live with. I was diagnosed 2 years ago and it is something that will effect me until the day I die.


Endo effects mainly the uterus and the surrounding organs including but not limited to; bowels, stomach, bladder, fallopian tubes and even the lungs. It causes chronic pain, extreme fatigue, chronic nausea (it's literally morning sickness without the baby), muscle & joint pain, painful periods, severe bloating, infertility + more. It was described to me as "it's like having rusty insides & as time goes on the rust builds and builds and the less functioning the organs become, until eventually they are useless". It is surgery every 6-12 months, being told you'll never have children at the age of 19 & morning painkillers just to get through the day. It is torture and it is real. These symptoms persist every single day of our lives, it is our "normal".

So I am calling on the Australian Government to have this disease recognised just like diabetes or asthma which are both equally as common & put an end to us jumping through hoops for a diagnosis. Provide more support to those of us who are torturing ourselves everyday by pushing through the pain. Please provide more funding to find a preventive treatment/cure. We need your help. We need funding & education so that we get the support and medical care that we deserve.

At the moment Australian women are being denied financial support, expected to pay thousands of dollars out of pocket for surgeries (that are only temporary may I add) and pay for expensive hormone treatments that may not even work. It is also not uncommon to go through 6-7 specialists before being taken seriously which is extremely disheartening. I think I speak for every sufferer when I say we are tired of being laughed out of doctors offices being told "it's all in your mind".

 

Please sign this petition and help me get this recognised for what it is.

Thank you xx 

avatar of the starter
Karlie WilkinsonPetition starter
Media enquiries

The Decision Makers

Greg Hunt
Greg Hunt
Minister for Health
Responded
“Time for action on endometriosis The Turnbull Government will create the first National Action Plan for Endometriosis, providing much needed support for women who face this often misunderstood medical condition. The Plan will seek to improve the treatment, understanding and awareness of endometriosis, which affects around one in ten Australian women. It will be developed in collaboration with the Australian Coalition for Endometriosis, and members of the Parliamentary Friends for Endometriosis Awareness. The Plan will focus on how to improve the lives of women who face this terrible condition. Diagnosis of the condition currently takes on average around eight to nine years, placing a significant toll on individuals, families and the community. This condition should have been better acknowledged and acted upon long ago but today we are taking action so the struggle that women face will no longer be silent or their battles private. We will work with the medical community and key stakeholders to look into what gaps might be present in training, support and care. Importantly medical research will be critical to uncovering new options for diagnosis, treatment, care and understanding of endometriosis. We will therefore issue a targeted call for endometriosis research under the Medical Research Future Fund. The Turnbull Government will also provide funding of $160,000, through the National Health and Medical Research Council, for Professor Grant Montgomery to use genomics to investigate better treatments for women with endometriosis. The Jean Hailes Foundation, supported by Turnbull Government funding, will also make endometriosis a key feature of next year’s Women’s Health Week, to raise awareness of the condition. All participants of the Australian Coalition for Endometriosis should be congratulated for the advocacy and voice they give to the thousands of women who suffer from endometriosis. We look forward to developing this new national approach with all involved in the battle against endometriosis.”
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Petition created on 15 November 2017