Endometriosis is a disease that affects 1 in 10 women worldwide, approximately 176 million. It is a condition as common as diabetes or asthma, yet our government and healthcare professionals still struggle to recognize it as a genuine disease. 74% of men and 33% of women don’t know what endometriosis is, even though, statistically, we all know someone who has Endo.

Endometriosis is not taught about in schools. It was never mentioned in any health class I took in high school. I only learned what it was through a TV commercial. It sounded too horrific to be common. Something that bad would be rare, right? Or else I would have heard about it?

Turns out it’s not rare, it’s extremely common. I began asking my friends about their period symptoms, since I had never had bad period pain before. I found out several of my friends had severe period pain, including excruciating cramps, throwing up, fainting, and shocks of pain. I couldn’t believe someone could suffer so much and not stop to think something was wrong.

It’s because we are taught to believe this pain is normal. That it’s part of having a menstrual cycle. It is not.

Even though endometriosis was discovered over 100 years ago, treatment has not significantly changed. The selection of treatments include painkillers, hormonal birth control, and surgery, each having significant downsides, and none offering a cure. Despite popular belief,  hysterectomy doesn’t cure Endometriosis.

Endo is commonly thought of as the “period disease”, when in reality it is a whole body disease. For many, pain persists throughout the whole month, not just during a period.

Endometriosis is a condition in which tissue similar to the inside of the uterus is present in other places. These lesions respond to hormones, and can even make their own hormones, causing inflammation & pain. Endometriosis breaks down and bleeds with every menstrual cycle. It most commonly affects the uterus and the surrounding organs including but not limited to; bowels, stomach, bladder, fallopian tubes, and even the lungs. However, it has been found in every organ of the body, including the brain and spine. It can even be found in the vagina and rectum. Because everything in the body is connected, endometriosis pain can be felt in places it may not even be present in.

Symptoms of endometriosis include chronic nausea (literally morning sickness without the baby), muscle & joint pain, severe bloating, extreme cramping, throwing up, chronic fatigue, fainting, and much much more. Not only does it affect your internal organs, causing additional medical issues, it also is a source of extreme anxiety and depression. It can interfere with every aspect of a person’s life.

Endo is still being dismissed by healthcare professionals as “a bad period”. It is not uncommon for women to go through 6-7 specialists before being taken seriously, and it takes an average of 10 years to get diagnosed. 

Many insurance companies offer no coverage for Endo care, or such minimal coverage that adequate care has to be paid all out of pocket. Even surgery, the “golden standard” of care for endometriosis, only relieves symptoms for up to 2 years in 80% of women. It’s a constant physical, emotional, and financial battle that has no end.

It’s time we stop ignoring and dismissing this painful reality & recognize it for what it is—torture. It’s time for us to speak out about this horror & work towards a better solution to the problem. It’s time that we use our voices and resources to help spread awareness and stop the silent suffering. It’s time to start teaching about Endometriosis in schools so it can be caught early and years of suffering can be avoided. It’s time the government & health organizations put more money into researching this problem so that preventative treatment can be found, & hopefully one day a cure. It’s time to provide more support to the millions of Americans who are tortured everyday by this pain but are still expected to hold a job and go to school without complaining. 

I’m asking for our government to provide more funding to find a preventive treatment or cure. To provide more education around this disease & teach about it in schools. I’m asking whoever is reading this to spread awareness & show your support for this cause. This disease is not leaving anytime soon, and will continue to affect women that you know and love. We need your help. We need funding & education so that those who are suffering can get the support and medical care that they deserve.

By simply signing this petition, you can truly make a difference. With 100,000 signatures, this petition requires a response from the Government. So please sign this petition and help me get Endometriosis recognized for what it is. A genuine, all too common disease. Not just a “bad period”.