13 Aug Endometriosis: why a new musical is getting people talking about a painful condition
Endometriosis affects one in seven Australian women, yet diagnosis can still take years. As Australia puts more focus on improving care, a new musical at the Edinburgh Fringe this August, is taking a very different approach to getting people talking.
For many women and girls, painful periods are something they are simply expected to put up with. But severe pain that interferes with school, work or everyday life should not be dismissed as just part of having a period.
Endometriosis is a condition where tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows in other parts of the body. It can cause severe period pain, persistent pelvic pain, painful sex, heavy periods and fertility problems, although symptoms can vary considerably.
In Australia, one in seven women have been diagnosed with endometriosis. Jean Hailes for Women’s Health says it can still take several years to get a diagnosis because symptoms vary, can overlap with other conditions and period pain is often accepted as normal. The good news is that diagnosis times are improving as awareness and medical knowledge increase.
Resources to help recognise the signs
When we first wrote about endometriosis in 2017, Jean Hailes had introduced resources designed to help women recognise and record their symptoms.
Those resources have continued to develop.
The Jean Hailes website now includes current information about symptoms, diagnosis and treatment, along with a downloadable checklist that women can use to record symptoms and take to a doctor.
Jean Hailes advises seeing a doctor if period pain is severe enough to stop you doing normal activities such as going to school or work. Keeping track of when pain occurs, how long it lasts and how it affects everyday life can also help when discussing symptoms with a health professional.
More focus on endometriosis care
Endometriosis is also receiving greater attention at a national level.
The Federal Government has committed $7.45 million to support improvements in care for people living with endometriosis and persistent pelvic pain. The funding is aimed at improving clinical guidance, developing care standards and providing education and training for GPs, specialists and other health professionals.
RANZCOG has welcomed continued investment in endometriosis care while also pointing out that women can face significant out-of-pocket costs for consultations, procedures, medications and the ongoing management of chronic conditions.
It shows how much the conversation has moved on since 2017. Endometriosis is increasingly being recognised not simply as “bad period pain”, but as a chronic health condition that can affect work, study, relationships, fertility and everyday life.
And awareness is now spreading well beyond doctors’ surgeries and health campaigns.
Putting endometriosis centre stage
At this year’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Endometriosis: The Musical is using music and comedy to tell a story about chronic pain, diagnosis and the struggle to be taken seriously.
Created by US writers Maria Bartholdi and Kristin Stowell, the musical follows Jane as she searches for an explanation for her ongoing pain while trying to navigate the healthcare system.
Both writers have lived experience of endometriosis, and the show grew from their desire to talk about a condition that can be difficult, frustrating and sometimes uncomfortable to discuss.
Rather than presenting endometriosis as a medical lecture, they chose comedy and music to make the subject more approachable. Underneath the humour is a familiar experience for many women with endometriosis: knowing that something is wrong but struggling to have symptoms recognised.
That message fits closely with what health organisations continue to tell women today. Severe period pain should not simply be accepted as normal, particularly when it interferes with everyday life.
A musical might seem an unlikely way to raise awareness about a chronic gynaecological condition, but perhaps that is part of its appeal. By putting endometriosis literally on stage, its creators are helping make a largely invisible condition more visible — and giving audiences another reason to talk about it.
For women experiencing symptoms, that conversation may also be the first step towards asking for help.
Find out more: Jean Hailes for Women’s Health has information, symptom checklists and resources about endometriosis on its website.
If period or pelvic pain is persistent, severe or affecting everyday life, speak to your GP or another health professional.
