If you have adenomyosis or endometriosis, then you already know the script. “It’s a bad period.” “Get over it.” “Try taking some ibuprofen.” I’ve heard all of it, including from people who act like this pain is just something women are supposed to quietly accept. I’m talking about pain so intense it feels like my uterus is about to fall out of my body, and somehow that still gets minimized.

What makes this even harder is that the dismissal does not just come from random people. It can happen in medical spaces too. When a doctor prescribes something I already tried, or when severe symptoms get brushed off like they are normal, it sends a message that our pain is not worth serious attention. People with adenomyosis and endometriosis are not asking for pity. We are asking to be heard, believed, and treated with the urgency real pain deserves.

That is why I am calling on medical boards, hospital systems, and professional associations to require stronger training on recognizing, taking seriously, and appropriately responding to adenomyosis and endometriosis symptoms. Providers need to understand that “periods are just supposed to hurt” is not an answer when someone is describing debilitating pain. Better education can lead to faster recognition, more respectful care, and fewer patients being sent away feeling invisible.

If you are tired of watching women’s pain get normalized and ignored, please sign. If you have ever been told to just get over it when your body was screaming that something was wrong, this petition is for you. Let’s push for medical care that listens the first time.