Endometriosis occurs when the tissue that makes up the uterine lining is present on other organs inside your body. It is a complex, painful and difficult to treat condition, which affects the lives of millions of women, sometimes to a crippling extent.
Celebrities Open Up
BBC journalist Ciru Muriuki opens to say “It sometimes takes years for endometriosis to be definitively diagnosed because women are told that pain is part of being a woman… Endometriosis has no cure” She urges people to speak out on the condition.
Celebrity, Jaime King actress, filmmaker and designer stresses the fact that “If you’re having very painful, heavy periods that are debilitating, even while you’re ovulating, that’s not normal and you should get it checked out immediately”
Julianne Hough, best known for her career in Dancing With The Stars (she’s a two-time champion!) and being an actress. She spent half of her life dealing with endometriosis—and suffering in silence. She goes on to say that endometriosis affects one’s sex life too. “It can definitely cut things short,” says Julianne. “Sometimes we’re in the middle and I’m just like ‘AH, stop!'” Other times, she needs to tell her husband, professional hockey player Brooks Laich, to just forget it that night.
The campaign on endometriosis was born out of British artist Georgie Wileman’s photography project of the same name, and March was selected as Endometriosis Awareness Month, to spread understanding and education about the condition.
According to the campaign’s official statement “Too often, these operations do nothing but cause more damage and pain,” she adds “There needs to be awareness, understanding, and education. We need to be seen, we need to be heard. Let’s name some noise.” Wileman’s campaign asks women to photograph their endometriosis scars, dating each surgery and connecting them with lines, creating a constellation.
Daisy Ridley, The Star Wars actress was diagnosed with endometriosis at 15. She suggests “Any of you who are suffering with anything, go to a doctor; pay for a specialist; get your hormones tested, get allergy testing; keep on top of how your body is feeling and don’t worry about sounding like a hypochondriac. From your head to the tips of your toes we only have one body, let us all make sure ours our working in tip top condition, and take help if it’s needed.”
If you are suffering from endometriosis remember, it’s not the end of the world.