March is Endometriosis Awareness Month. In honor of all of our community members suffering from this disease, here’s an “oldie but goodie” from 2010.
Kismet is a funny thing. Last week I read that Padma Lakshmi of TV’s Top Chef fame recently had a baby. I’m a Top Chef fan and was happy to hear that both baby (girl) and mom are doing well.
Then, over the course of my wandering in the Online Land of Fertility Information, I learned that she is the co-founder of the Endometriosis Foundation of America (EFA).
Then, while checking out EFA’s website, I discovered that March is Endometriosis Awareness. Now that’s a roundabout way to get to a very important disease that (according to the EFA) affects over 5.5 million women and girls in the U.S. and more than 70 million globally – and for which there’s no cure.
What is endometriosis?
Maureen wrote about endometriosis a while ago.
“Endometriosis is a disease that causes tissue normally found in the uterine cavity to implant outside the cavity on the ovaries or other pelvic organs. The tissue growth can cause irritation that may cause adhesions or scar tissue on these organs. Also, it can grow to develop into blood filled cysts called endometriomas.”
The rest of her blog post is here.
To date, the cause is unknown and it’s estimated that 30-40% of women with endometriosis are subfertile. I did the math and that’s 1.65 to 2.2 million women and girls in the U.S.
It’s more than just painful periods
“We continue to find that the disease remains misdiagnosed, misunderstood and ineffectively treated, despite being one of the most prevalent causes of hysterectomy, infertility and pelvic pain in women and girls around the globe,” said Michelle E. Marvel, Endometriosis Research Center (ERC) Founder & Executive Director.
“Despite hallmark symptoms, the average delay in diagnosis remains an astounding 9 years, and a patient will seek the counsel of 5 or more physicians before her pain is adequately addressed,” she added. Endometriosis can affect women from all walks of life ranging from adolescence to post-menopause, and be so painful as to render a woman or girl unable to go about her normal routine. “It is not unusual for a patient to undergo repeated surgeries and embark on different medical therapies; many carrying significantly negative side effects and none offering long-term relief,” noted Marvel.
The ERC strongly advocates for early intervention, timely diagnosis and efficacy of treatment for the disease.
Visit the EFA’s website to learn more and connect with women managing their disease.
And to bring it full circle: Thank you, Padma Lakshmi for elevating awareness and offering hope that women afflicted with endometriosis may be able to realize their dream of having a baby. I wish her and Baby Krishna health and happiness.
