Endometriosis: What you should know
Today I want to shed light on Endometriosis, a menstruation disease that affects an estimated 200 million women and people who bleed worldwide.
Why am I raising awareness for this disease?
Approximately one in 10 women suffer from this condition
It takes about 8 years before a woman is diagnosed with endometriosis
Breaking stigma and misunderstanding
Enable more support structures in the workplace
What is endometriosis?
Endometriosis is a medical condition in which the tissue that normally lines the inside of the uterus, named endometrium, grows outside of it. This can occur in various areas within the pelvic region, such as the ovaries, fallopian tubes, intestines, and the lining of the pelvis.
Endometriosis can cause a variety of symptoms, including:
Pelvic pain and cramping, painful bowel movements, or urination during menstrual periods. Heavy menstrual period bleeds or bleeding between periods, pain during sex, and infertility.
These symptoms can make it difficult for women to focus on their work and may require them to take time off to manage the pain.
Endometriosis can cause severe pain, mental health problems and discomfort, especially during menstrual periods, and may also result in infertility. The severity of the symptoms varies widely among individuals.
For women who suffer from endometriosis, it can be a very challenging condition to manage, especially in the workplace:
Chronic Pain: Women with endometriosis often experience chronic pelvic pain, which can make it challenging to sit, stand or even concentrate at work. The pain can also make it difficult to complete tasks that require physical activity.
Fatigue: Endometriosis can cause extreme fatigue, which makes it difficult to stay focused and productive at work.
Frequent Medical Appointments: Once this disease has been diagnosed, women need to attend regular medical appointments, which can interfere with their job responsibilities. These appointments can be stressful and time-consuming, making it challenging to balance work and personal life.
Stigma and Misunderstanding: Endometriosis is a chronic condition that is not always well understood, leading to stigma and misunderstanding. People who are uneducated about this disease might dismiss a woman’s pain as being “normal” or claim that it’s all in her head.
Shame: Women with endometriosis often feel ashamed or embarrassed to discuss their symptoms with their manager or colleagues, it may feel like an invasion of privacy or can lead to unfairly risking future career opportunities.
Awareness is one thing, putting in the work is the second step. Hence, I'm sharing some clear steps you can take to support women with endometriosis and as a result, build a more inclusive workplace:
1. Foster conversation
While not all women with endometriosis will want to discuss private health issues, they may be more open to participating in a conversation when it is conducted in a supportive manner. Speaking up will remove the stigma and nurture a supportive workplace.
2. Educate & train to create a supportive workplace
Train managers, so they learn how to be supportive and react appropriately. As an HR consultant and Women’s Hormonal Health Coach, I provide training & education on women’s health to help you build a supportive workplace. Get in touch through LinkedIn DM or email hello@roosand.co if you want to inquire more information about my services.
3. Develop a women's health policy including endometriosis
Developing, implementing, and promoting policies about women's health and endometriosis, will automatically raise awareness and understanding of the disease, plus it also promotes supportive work structures.
4. Job modifications
Endometriosis is in most countries not acknowledged as a disability, but this disease may get in the way of performing the job. One way to support an employee with severe endometriosis is to discuss job modifications such as changing responsibilities, reducing the pace of work, managing workloads, or modifying workstations. I acknowledge that not all proposed accommodations will work for your company, but I'm positive that there are always options to explore.
5. Flexible work arrangements
Employees who suffer from endometriosis may be experiencing significant pain regularly and/or undergoing treatment where they are required to attend multiple medical appointments for some time. Flexible working arrangements might be a solution for them during these periods. My advice is to foster conversation to understand the situation of your team member(s).
Endometriosis is a challenging condition that can impact women and people who bleed in many ways, including their work performance. By raising awareness, fostering conversation, and providing support, the workplace can become much better for these employees.
If you want to learn more about endometriosis, I recommend exploring the Endofound website, linked here.
The informative image that you can bring to your manager/hr.
To women who are suffering from endometriosis and/or period problems:
Through my hormonal health expertise and coaching, I help women take control of their lives without disturbing symptoms. I focus on varied complaints and disease pictures, such as PMS, fertility, peri-menopause, heavy and irregular periods, PCOS, Endometriosis, mood swings, fatigue, and sleep problems. Feel welcome to schedule your chemistry call and let’s figure out together if hormonal health coaching is something for you.
love,
Roos
