EndoMarch

This March, for Endometriosis Awareness Month, Women’s Health Services across Victoria alongside peak body Gender Equity Victoria, are banding together to shine a much-needed spotlight on endometriosis (endo), a condition that affects one in nine women in Australia.

EndoMarch is a worldwide campaign to raise awareness of endo, a common reproductive health issue that affects at least 200,000 Victorians, or 10% of women and people who menstruate. Endo is a disease in which the tissue that is similar to the lining of the womb grows outside it in other parts of the body. Many people with endo experience severe symptoms, including chronic pain and infertility. Currently treatment is focused on managing symptoms as there is no cure for endo. Typically, there is a 7-10 year delay in diagnosis for people with endometriosis.

WHISE has joined the network of women’s health services in Victoria to produce a social media campaign for EndoMarch. The campaign includes information on how endo affects women’s mental health, employment, education and relationships; suggestions on how to support someone living with endometriosis; current gaps in service provision and referral pathways for endometriosis; and advocacy needed to improve clinical management of endometriosis, education and knowledge.