For years now women's health issues have been severely under funded and misunderstood. I amongst many other women and young girls are often told that we do not understand our own body's and that the issue is all in our head. Since the age of 17 I have been back and forth to the doctors in complete despair and agony. Due to my age I was never taken seriously and was told numerous times that it was in my head and that there was nothing wrong. My health affected my relationships, my education and my social life. I felt completely alone and even started to question if there was anything wrong at all. As a young girl experiencing personal health issues I was terrified and thought that I was not "normal", despite my age I knew that something was wrong yet I was continuously told that it was in my head.

I am now 23 years old and I am still no closer to resolving my health issues. It has been a very long 6 years in chronic pain every day with no answers or solutions. Due to the lack of support I have spent a lot of time doing my own research and came to realize that this is a common issue amongst women. On average it takes women up to 15 years to be diagnosed with conditions such as Interstitial Cystitis, Vaginismus or Vulvodynia. Many women alongside myself suffer with chronic pain and often get given anti biotics or mild painkillers to resolve the issue and when it does not work we are left wondering if it is all in our head. I have been sent to many specialists over the years and not once do I feel that I was taken seriously. I was told that it may go away on its own or that I was just born this way. It has got to a point where I do not see it ever being diagnosed and treated which has effected my mental health greatly and has left me feeling exhausted and depressed.

More research needs to be done on women's health and when a women comes forth with a health issue it should be taken seriously and not dismissed. A serious change needs to happen as we should not have to life our life in agony with no answers. I would not wish this type of burden on anyone and I urge others to educate themselves on women's health and to help get rid of the stigma that we do not know what is going on within our own body's. I have the right to be able to go to the doctors knowing that they will do whatever they can to find the root of the issue and to know I wont be sent home with no answers feeling helpless, and so does everyone else no matter your gender, age or ethnicity.