March is Endometriosis Awareness Month

March is that time of year when nature is renewed and together with that, our attention towards women. We should be aware that behind every smile that delights our eyes could be a hidden pain and a neglected problem. A march is an activity of extreme force oriented against a common enemy. Borrowed from times of war, it is used today as a peaceful way of raising awareness.

The first Million Women March for Endometriosis will take place Thursday, March 13, in more than 53 capitals around the world. This unprecedented international effort is a call for help not only from authorities and members of the medical community, but also for the general public. The event is hosted inside the Endometriosis Awareness Month, a month dedicated to the fight against this disease.

The main objective is to educate about a disease that doesn’t receive enough attention, but the event should trigger future steps towards promoting early detection, developing non-invasive diagnostic tests, improving treatment and finding a permanent cure. The fight against endometriosis, like with any other condition, is first off all a fight against the ignorance of those not directly affected. Endometriosis receives insufficient mass-media coverage and its impact over population’s health is grossly underestimated. It comes not even near the attention that other affections, like cancer or diabetes receive. As a direct consequence, government funding for research and treatment is insufficient.

The campaign also claims a better integration of knowledge about endometriosis in medical and nursing school educational institutes. The fact that numerous patients, although receiving medical investigations, are not diagnosed with endometriosis could be seen as a weakness of the system. A preemptive step can be also made in public schools by enforcing educational campaigns and improving health screening for young girls. A disease that is better understood and whose consequences are expected has a chance of making a less negative impact both to the one affected and to society.

 This medical condition affects the quality of life in a complex way, beside physical pain and mental trauma. Infertility is very often associated with endometriosis, so a woman could become also vulnerable emotionally because of her inability to accomplish one of the goals of her existence. The hardest part to accept is that the management of this disease may be a long-term process. This usually triggers depressive episodes, irritability, poor integration into society and an ever present stigma associated with self-image.

Probably the most important step in dealing with a problem is to acknowledge that you are not the only one facing it. Almost 200 million women and girls are facing endometriosis world-wide and there are millions that haven’t been yet diagnosed. The numbers reflect that this situation should not go on without a change.

The exact causes that trigger endometriosis are still unknown, but the most important risk factor is genetic predisposition. Endometriosis is a gynecological condition in which cells from the endometrium (lining of the uterus) appear and flourish outside the uterine cavity. Although it is a benign disease, it has all the features of malignancy: local infiltration, invasiveness and a remarkable capacity of dissemination. At this time, there is no cure for endometriosis, but with the help of pain medication, hormonal treatments, or surgery, the condition can be ameliorated.

Similar to the pink ribbon that the breast cancer campaign uses, the yellow ribbon is the symbol of the fight against endometriosis. But its aim is not limited to that. The yellow ribbon means more unity and less discrimination, because it’s not a badge for those affected by the disease but a token for those that provide at least moral support and are willing to share the responsibility of finding a solution. It is also a hallmark of a mature society, which is prepared to defend its weaknesses and not to hide them. Yellow, usually associated with graduation ceremonies, is also the symbol of a new future, empowered by education and knowledge.

Although it targets a gender related disease, the Million Women March for Endometriosis is not a call just for women. All men are welcomed to express their solidarity and concern towards a problem that affect us all. And if thousands of people united are able to overcome dictatorships, aren’t millions enough to defeat a disease?

Million Woman March for Endometriosis

For more information please visit: www.millionwomenmarch2014.org