1st – 31st March 2021
Nithya and I are taking part in a 1 in 10 challenge this month to raise
money for Endometriosis UK as part of Endometriosis Awareness Month, to help end the
stigma and provide support to the 1 in 10 living with endometriosis in the UK.
New statistics released this month by Endometriosis UK reveal that 62% of women would
put off going to the Doctor with symptoms of endometriosis because they don’t think it’s
serious enough to bother a Doctor with, they’d be embarrassed, don’t think they’d be
taken seriously, or think symptoms including painful periods are normal. This statistic
rises to 80% of 16-24-year olds.
This endometriosis awareness month, Endometriosis UK alongside local fundraisers are calling for an end to the stigma associated with endometriosis, and is asking:
UK Governments to make a commitment to reduce diagnosis time for endometriosis
with a target of an average of 4 years or less by 2025, and a year or less by 2030.
To ensure a minimum baseline for endometriosis diagnosis, treatment and
management is available to all those who need it, not a postcode lottery, by
implementing the NICE Guideline on Endometriosis Treatment and Management
(2017), adopted by the NHS’s across the UK but not implemented.
A commitment from all 4 nations to include compulsory menstrual wellbeing in the
school curriculum so that young people recognise the warning signs of menstrual
health conditions and know when to seek help. This is compulsory in schools in
England from 2020, but is not UK wide.
For anyone experiencing symptoms of endometriosis to recognise they may need
help and be confident to contact their GP, not be put off by stigmas associated with
the condition or delay seeking advice due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
For more information https://endometriosis-uk.org/
Follow our challenge on our instagram page https://www.instagram.com/newcastlegynaecologyclinic/