I have Adenomyosis along with other chronic illnesses that affect my reproductive system, hormone health, and overall health as a female. My experience has shown me first hand how underfunded and overlooked female health issues are. Despite affecting millions of women worldwide, conditions like Adenomyosis and Endometriosis often go undiagnosed or misdiagnosed due to a lack of research and education. 1 in 3 women are likely to experience gynaecological problem in their lifetime!

I had no understanding of my body and my reproductive system until I became unwell. There is so much information that once I learnt about it the more I realised how little people who are born female at birth are not actually taught about their body and how it works. I was taught I would bleed, what contraception there is and how to avoid STDs however I was not taught that periods are not meant to cause you so much pain that your mam has to run a boiling bath at 2am for you to just relief it enough you won't cry. I was not taught about the 5 cancers that can affect a female reproductive system, I was not taught about hormone imbalances, I was not taught that ovulation shouldn't be painful, I was not taught I shouldn't go through a tampon every hour, I was not taught that clots the size of 50ps were abnormal, the list can go on. It was found that 1 in 5 women have a good knowledge on menstrual wellbeing and health as well as only 8% having knowledge on Gynaecological conditions.

In the UK it takes 7-9 years on average to get a diagnosis of Adenomyosis or Endometriosis despite 1 in 10 women suffering from these conditions. 80% of women feel they are not heard or been believed when speaking to medical professionals about their health. This also leads to 57% of women feeling they have been misdiagnosed. Women experience 'Pain Bias' on the daily as they are regularly told that the pain they face is 'normal' and 'should be put up with'. The UK was found to have the largest gender health gap out of the G20 countries and the 12th Globally! 

According to the World Health Organization, women's health issues receive significantly less funding compared to other medical fields. Conditions such as Erectile Dysfunction receives five times more research despite it only affecting 19% of men in comparison to Premenstrual Syndrome which affects 90% of women. This disparity leads to prolonged suffering for many women who struggle with chronic conditions without adequate support or treatment options. In the UK 150 million working days a year are lost due to women's poor health and lack of suitable support.

We need increased funding into female health education and research to ensure that women receive the care they deserve, currently less than 2.5% of publicly funded research is dedicated solely to reproductive health. By signing this petition, you can help raise awareness and push for necessary changes in healthcare policies. Please sign this petition to advocate for better healthcare outcomes for all women.