By Keely McConnell
When you grow up as someone with endometriosis, you’re taught that “the pain you are experiencing is normal” or that “everyone has a hard time when they’re on their period, just suck it up”. You learn to live in discomfort, in pain and incredible inconvenience until someone tells you that what you deal with every month is in fact not normal.
While there have been great advances in how society views menstruation and female health, endometriosis still remains quite misunderstood, and the ways that it can impact people who live with it remain fairly unknown by the general population. Endometriosis isn’t just a “bad period”, and it’s definitely not made up (talking to you, Marty Sheargold; Rupil, 2025). Endometriosis (or ‘endo’ as it is often shortened to) is a condition where tissue, similar to that which makes up the lining of the uterus, grows outside of the uterus (Endometriosis Australia, 2026). A longitudinal study performed by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare found that endometriosis affects approximately 1 in 7 (14%) of people assumed female at birth (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2023). It can present with a variety of symptoms that look different for each person, but generally, the most common symptom experienced is severe pain that can interfere with your day-to-day life (Endometriosis Australia, 2026).
I was diagnosed with endo when I was 20 years old. While I was fortunate enough to get diagnosed while I was still quite young, I had been symptomatic for almost 7 years. Despite presenting to doctors with debilitating pain and incredibly heavy periods, I was only presented with measures to treat my symptoms and was not offered the opportunity to investigate what was causing them. I had to ask to be referred to a gynaecologist before endometriosis was even considered.
Unfortunately, the struggle often doesn’t end there. In addition to the daily challenges that living with endometriosis can pose, many people living with the condition have had negative experiences with healthcare professionals due to “medical gaslighting”; I also experienced this when seeking a diagnosis. My symptoms were all chalked up to my weight, and there was an over-emphasis on my future fertility instead of my quality of life. I wasn’t pushing for surgery or medications; I just wanted to know my options were. Instead, I felt that I was shamed for wanting answers and was only offered options around fertility instead of pain management.
On average, it takes most people 7-10 years to get diagnosed, and much of this is due to symptoms not being taken seriously or people not being believed. We have already made great strides towards a social culture that talks more openly about menstruation—but let’s not stop there. Let’s encourage people to speak up if they are in significant pain on their period or have heavy bleeding instead of brushing it off as ‘normal’. Together, we can create a culture where people don’t have to suffer in silence.
This article was featured in the 2026 Respect Week edition of Glass Magazine.
References
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. (2023, December 14). Endometriosis in Australia 2023, How common is endometriosis? Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/chronic-disease/endometriosis-in-australia-2023/contents/how-common-is-endometriosis
Endometriosis Australia. (2026a). Endometriosis Symptoms. Endometriosis Australia. https://endometriosisaustralia.org/symptoms/
Endometriosis Australia. (2026b). Understanding endometriosis. Endometriosis Australia. https://endometriosisaustralia.org/understanding-endometriosis/
Rupil, N. (2025, February 27). Media Statement: Endometriosis Australia Responds to Comments About Endometriosis by Marty Sheargold. Endometriosis Australia. https://endometriosisaustralia.org/media-statement-endometriosis-australia-responds-to-comments-about-endometriosis-by-marty-sheargold/
