Many women wish they had been told sooner about endometriosis. Many women end up living with the symptoms for years, even though it can take until their late 30s or early 40s before they are diagnosed.

Endometriosis Awareness week is a holiday that focuses on making progress in understanding endometriosis, and finding better ways to treat it.

Endometriosis is a condition in which the lining of your uterus expands into other parts of the body such as the abdomen cavity. This creates blood-filled cysts or scar tissue. Endometriosis Awareness week aims to increase awareness of the condition.

It’s important to help women understand the disease and eliminate the stigmas that surround women discussing their periods and health.

Mary Lou Ballweg and eight other women started Endometriosis Awareness Week in 1993 at the Endometriosis Association’s annual roundtable in Milwaukee. Mary Lou Ballweg and Carolyn Keith founded the Endometriosis Association in 1980. It grew to be one of the most respected organizations for endometriosis.

A network of 66 countries around the globe. Their overall success led to the growth of Endometriosis Awareness week, even though they were not successful at the beginning due to the taboo nature of the topic and lack of research.

Endometriosis Awareness Week is one of the most popular holidays for the organization. It hopes that this holiday will be used by the medical profession to improve practices and give those with endometriosis an opportunity to make a difference.

Endometriosis Awareness week is about taking action. Join a support group to meet women who have recently been diagnosed with endometriosis or have had success in finding treatment.

To speak to someone about resources and options, call the helpline at Endometriosis UK. In the hopes of finding treatment options in the future, you can donate to your favourite organization and volunteer for future events and campaigns.