‘You’re a woman. You will just have to learn to live with it.’
It’s a phrase I’ve heard several times, from GPs and others, as I’ve struggled to get the support I need.
I have endometriosis, a common gynaecological disease affecting one in 10 women and those assigned female at birth, whose symptoms include chronic pelvic pain, painful periods, painful bowel movements and more.
It has affected me from my first period (aged 14), but I only got a formal diagnosis of it in 2016, just before my 31st birthday.
Endometriosis affects everyone differently, but two things that many with the disease experience is a lack of support from society as a whole, and wondering how you’re going to power on through the pain on a daily basis.
Since my diagnosis, I have been lucky enough to have supportive employers, but the same is very much not true for everyone.
I joined Powys County Council’s communications team three years ago, while on the waiting list for my third endometriosis surgery, and I’m delighted that it has now become the first UK local authority to sign up to the Endometriosis Friendly Employer Scheme.
The scheme is run by Endometriosis UK, a charity I have volunteered with for several years, and provides guidance on how to support employees with endometriosis, as well as how to tackle stigma and change the culture surrounding endometriosis in the workplace.
Being an Endometriosis Friendly Employer means Powys will be updating existing HR policies to include endometriosis, creating an information toolkit for managers, and including lots of information about the disease in both internal and external communications.
We’re also going to be sending information on endometriosis to all schools in the area.
The council has also appointed me as its Endometriosis Champion.
I’m excited to see the difference we can make across the council itself and the local area through this scheme, and I also hope we inspire more local authorities to sign up and commit to supporting staff who have the condition.
- To find out more, please visit endometriosis-uk.org/endometriosis-friendly-employers