Gai Brodtmann (Canberra, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

When I became an Endometriosis Australia ambassador, I made a pledge to end the silence on this insidious disease, a disease that affects one in 10 women throughout the world. Today I want to share some of those stories because they are powerful, they're heartbreaking and they're happening to one in 10 women in our communities each and every day. I've heard stories of 13 surgeries, two bowel resections, having part of the urethra removed, ongoing kidney problems, infertility, failed IVF cycles, miscarriages and early menopause. I've heard, 'I wish I had excision surgery sooner so I may have had children.' Another said: 'I wish they spoke more about the mental and emotional symptoms associated with endo. Living with chronic pain and hormonal hell every single day wreaks havoc on your mind and your soul. Endo has taken over every aspect of my life, and to be told time and time again it's not real, it's not that bad, suck it up, it's just a girl thing, it's a bad period breaks my heart. This disease is daily torture.' These are just some of the stories. I'm going to continue to speak in parliament about the tragedy and the havoc that is being wreaked on the lives of these women throughout Australia, each and every day. It is one in 10. We need to end the silence on endo.