S1E16 Pinkpilled: Endometriosis

WELCOME TO PINKPILLED. These mini-sodes expose how patriarchy and medical misogyny affect our brains and bodies.In honor of Endometriosis Awareness Month, we’re starting off with endometriosis, a little-understood and shockingly-common chronic illness. 🩸What is endometriosis?Endometriosis — or “endo” — is chronic illness that can affect women and people assigned female at birth from their first period to the end of their lives. It happens when tissue that’s similar to the lining of the uterus grows outside the uterus, like on:* ovaries and fallopian tubes* bladder and bowel* stomach lining* lungs and other organsEndometriosis affects 1 in 10 women and people assigned female at birth (more than diabetes or asthma!), yet SO FEW OF THEM have even heard of it.Why is endometriosis so bad?When your body goes through a menstrual cycle wherein hormones tell the lining of your uterus to grow. If you don’t get pregnant, your body sheds that lining. That’s your period.But with endometriosis, the tissue outside your uterus also reacts to those hormones, gets thick, breaks down, and bleeds. But that blood outside the uterus has no way to leave your body. It stays trapped inside, causing:* swelling* lesions* scar tissue* adhesions (when your tissues stick together)The symptoms can get so severe they are estimated to cost the US economy somewhere between $22 and $80 billion annually in direct medical costs and lost wages.What does endometriosis feel like?Endometriosis symptoms can vary, but many people feel:* bad cramps that don’t go away with painkillers* pain during or after sex* pain when peeing or pooping* fatigue* bloating (sometimes called “endo belly”)* infertilityAccording to the World Economic Forum, endometriosis may be responsible for up to 50% of unexplained infertility.How is endometriosis diagnosed?Right now, the only way to if you have endometriosis is to have a surgery called an exploratory laparoscopy (or “ex lap”), where a doctor looks inside your belly with a camera.That means a lot of people live for years without getting the right diagnosis — especially teens and women of color, who are more likely to be told their pain is “normal.”The difficulties with diagnosis are one of the most insidious effects of endo. It’s common, but individuals often see an average of eight doctors over 10 years before getting the correct diagnosis. It takes an average of somewhere between 5 and 12 years of symptoms before patients get the help they need.And in that time, you can be told you’re overreacting, “just stressed,” or that it’s all in your head. This is medical misogyny in action.What’s the treatment for endometriosis?There is no cure for endometriosis.Some patients are put on birth control pills. Others have ablation surgery, in which the affected areas are burned and cauterized. Still others have excision surgery where the endometriomas and lesions are cut away. Both of these procedures have a tendency to leave behind affected tissue, so symptoms often recur.Hormonal treatments and pain meds are Band-Aids for this whole-body disease.Why haven’t you heard more about endometriosis?Answer: Medical misogyny in action.Our medical system — and medical education, even for OBgyns — doesn’t always take women’s pain seriously. Women’s reproductive pain tends to be pathologized and attributed to psych issues.Meanwhile, according to the WHO, approximately 10% of reproductive-age women and girls (and people AFAB) worldwide are affected by endometriosis. This equates to around 190 million people.Still, endometriosis research is severely underfunded. In 2022, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) allocated $27 million to endometriosis research. This averages out to about $2 per patient. In contrast, diabetes, which is comparably prevalent, received $50/patient in funding.Medical misogyny — the systemic dismissal, devaluation, and underfunding of women’s health concerns — is baked into nearly every part of how endometriosis is researched, treated, and diagnosed.Please comment, rate, and review this podcast, or share it to help make sure it reaches the people who need it most!Source MaterialWHO endometriosisRescripted: Endometriosis Get full access to Modern Hysteria at micahlarsen.substack.com/subscribe