Lisa Chesters (Bendigo, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That this House:

(1) notes that:

(a) March is Endometriosis Awareness Month;

(b) endometriosis is a progressive, chronic condition that can start at puberty and continue beyond menopause; and

(c) endometriosis affects one in nine Australian women and girls;

(2) acknowledges that the Government is addressing endometriosis at a national level via the National Plan for Endometriosis, which includes:

(a) $8.57 million for awareness and education;

(b) $49.65 million for clinical management and care; and

(c) $28.97 million for research; and

(3) congratulates the many endometriosis patients, their families, organisations and health sector leaders for their continued advocacy on endometriosis awareness and education.

March is Endometriosis Awareness Month. It is a chance for all of us to stand not just in this place but with partners and allies across the community to raise awareness and education around endometriosis.

At the beginning of my contribution can I acknowledge two amazing endo warriors who really put this issue on the agenda in this place and nationally: the former member for Canberra, Gai Brodtmann, and the former member for Boothby, Nicolle Flint. This is one of those issues which is bipartisan—in fact, across the parliament we have come together. They were the founding co-chairs of the Parliamentary Friends of Endometriosis Awareness and Education. I also acknowledge my co-chair of this group—we've inherited it from superstars Gai and Nicolle—the current member for Forrest. Nola and I are continuing Gai and Nicolle's legacy and making sure this place doesn't forget the importance of acting on endometriosis awareness. Later this week we will be holding a joint breakfast with Endometriosis Australia in helping to pursue their campaign in relation to this issue.

Endometriosis is a condition where the tissue behaves unusually. The lining of the uterus starts to grow in locations that it shouldn't. It is a chronic condition that causes severe pain to at least one in nine women and girls in Australia. On average it takes about eight years to diagnose. Three out of 10 girls skip class because of painful periods. Some women with endometriosis are in so much pain that they give up work or studies. It's still one of those areas that some women and girls find quite embarrassing. Many girls say they thought the pain was usual. Many women who might be trying to get pregnant or couples who are going through fertility treatment don't find out until that stage that the woman has endometriosis and that it may affect their ability to fall pregnant—a devastating way to find out that that period pain that you've had has actually impacted your ability to have children.

In 2018 the parliament released and adopted the National Action Plan for Endometriosis, starting the journey of this place—both the previous government and this government—investing in the National Action Plan for Endometriosis. The government committed $22.5 million to support implementing this plan. Its priorities focused on awareness and education, clinical management and care, and research. About $6 million has gone towards awareness and education—the PPEP talks which have been quite popular in schools and are being rolled out in each state in partnership with the states. Also, funding has gone towards clinical management and care, and over $16 million has gone towards research.

This government committed to addressing endometriosis in its 2023 budget, and expanded the budget to $58.3 million to support more initiatives to help improve endometriosis diagnosis and primary care support. This includes funding MRIs for women who suspect that they have severe endometriosis that could be affecting their fertility. Another way in which the government is helping is by funding the endometriosis living guideline support and new and ongoing research into the diagnosis of the condition. This funding will continue support of EndoZone, a digital platform that provides patients with access to evidence based information. These are some of the many things this government is doing to support.

I acknowledge many of the true champions and organisations that support women and their families who believe they may have endometriosis or are trying to live with the chronic condition—people like Lesley and Sylvia Freedman, who are the co-founders of EndoActive, and Donna Ciccia, who is a co-founder and a board member of Endometriosis Australia. These are just two of the many organisations doing their bit. I will give my final shout-out to the Endo Warriors, who never forget or let us in this place forget our role to make sure that this is never again a forgotten issue or condition.

See this speech in context