There’s a subtle pain that sneaks in like a thief in the night causing discomfort in women. As of latest statistics, this thief-pain currently affects one in ten women. Its criminality is hidden in leg pain, back pain, excessive unusual period pains, urination pain, pelvic pain as the main indicator, and discomforting pain during sexual intercourse. Its diagnosis is very uncommon at the doctor’s office, often commonly discarded just as excessive period pain then maybe you’re given a contraceptive prescription. The actual drug needed is Visanne, and the thief-pain to treat is Endometriosis. Hi there, my name is Sharon, and I am an endo-warrior that has been unknowingly suffering from Endometriosis. This is my awareness story.
My days usually starts in the same morning cycle that women with Endometriosis would recognize: a dull ache that can spike into cramps painful enough to cancel plans, a calendar marked not just by meetings but flare-ups. I am 21 years of age, and I currently reside in Gauteng. Amongst the boldest of choices I’ve taken in life, one of them has led me to being a Miss Inspire South Africa Finalist. This is the platform I am speaking through, to advocate against the stigmas of women’s health, mental struggles, and combat front-line the stereotypes of body-insecurity. My end goal is so that we don’t just suffer alone, a lead voice of advocacy is needed. This is my attempt to educate more and more women about the criminal thief like pain biologically known as Endometriosis.
So What Is Endometriosis?
Well besides the horrifying pain I’ve used to introduce and define Endometriosis, scientifically, Endometriosis is a chronic often-painful condition where a similar inner-lining of the uterus grows outside the uterus. Common causes of such a condition although yet unclear but they range from a retrograde menstruation when menstrual blood flows back through the fallopian tubes into the pelvic cavity, to surgical scar complications such as undergoing a C-section (Mayo Clinic).
Of course, a chronic health condition always comes with its own health complications, both physical and mental. In the sack of many besides the pain, Endometriosis can lead to infertility as the blocked fallopian tube prevents the sperm and released egg from uniting, or the sperm is destroyed along its way. It also comes with menstrual complications besides the excessive bleeding and period pains. It can further cause shorter menstrual cycles, early age entry into periods and a late menopause. The discomforting pain during sexual intercourse may lead to involuntarily abstaining from sex or developing a low sex drive and appetite. This alone has its own common mental struggles.
In the sack of mental health complications, one which has been dominating in me is isolation. I used to suffer in my own sorrows. I used to apologise for my body and abstain from talking about it. Now I choose to break the silence so that others feel like they have a advocacy voice which wasn’t privileged to me. I choose not to suffer alone.
Living Out Loud: Turning Pain into Purpose.
I want to shine a light on this specific chronic condition of Endometriosis; however, my greater purpose is shining a light on women health struggles. All those that creep in like thieves in the mid of night, and all those which affect our pride and love for self. My lived purpose of living out load is bringing about awareness, which is inherently an education campaign to teach women about the illnesses that affect us. One which you might not know you have, or your sister has, or your child has. This is me turning my own personal pain and suffering, my own personal grieve in self-neglect, into a lived purpose which will create the advocacy I wish I had.
As a Miss Inspire South Africa Finalist, my drive is taking up the platform so to advocate for the purpose of bringing about awareness to neglected women health issues. With this purpose, the culture on women health education is to change, specifically to develop one which educates women about their bodies and complication.
PAD a Girl
PAD a Girl is my practical platform awareness campaign where I donate pads to girls that are underserved. Through this campaign, we further educate girls about Endometriosis, body positivity to break the stereotypes of body-insecurity, and mental health. This is obviously not only about donating pads to underserved girls, but the bigger movement is creating a community of awareness advocating for women health.
My story is one of pain, yours doesn’t have to be. Especially pain which you suffer alone. The silence needs to be broken because when we investigate the bigger picture, creating awareness helps us find a home and community to harvest information about our chronic conditions, it makes the doctor’s office visit more collaborative and conscious. We can’t wish away the thief criminally pain causing discomfort in women health, but we can definitely find out more about it and we can definitely teach each other the little piece of the whole experience puzzle about Endometriosis.
–MediaHouse150
