Catryna Bilyk (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Endometriosis is a debilitating and painful condition that affects at least one in nine women and girls and those assigned female at birth. For women aged between 44 and 49 that figure increases to one in seven. Endometriosis is complicated by the fact that it's difficult to diagnose—on average taking seven years and often taking as long as 15 years. New research shows that one in two Australian women experience pelvic pain which can be debilitating, yet, despite significant impacts on quality of life, only about half discuss their symptoms with their doctor. I am somewhat embarrassed to acknowledge that for too long the women of Tasmania have had to foot the cost of travel to the mainland to receive basic reproductive health care. But there is some good news at last.

In the 2022-23 budget, the Albanese government committed $58 million for a suite of endometriosis support measures to be rolled out nationally. Recently, along with my colleague Senator Katy Gallagher and Tasmanian state member for Clark, Ella Haddad, I had the pleasure of attending the endometriosis and pelvic pain GP clinic at Family Planning Tasmania. Family Planning Tasmania is a wonderful establishment, run very ably by Lalla Mackenzie. I'd like to take this opportunity to thank Lalla and all the staff at Family Planning Tasmania and Dr Craig White, the chair of the board, for hosting us on this day. Including the Hobart clinic, a total of 22 clinics will be established around the country, bringing much-needed medical care and attention to this debilitating condition. Two further clinics in the north of Tasmania, one in Burnie and one in Launceston, will also soon be operational. Together with the clinic currently open in Hobart, Tasmanians will have unprecedented access to reproductive health care, with faster diagnosis and faster access to effective management strategies.

I'm really proud to be part of a government that is committed not only to improving the reproductive health care of all Australian women but also to creating a better standard of health care for all Tasmanians. They're doing this by investing in services that support women. I would like to take this opportunity also to thank the Minister for Health and Aged Care, Mark Butler, and the Assistant Minister for Health and Aged Care, Ged Kearney, who have been doing amazing work in this area. When I was young, endometriosis was something that was whispered even when it was finally diagnosed. It wasn't talked about. I think it's really important that we are able to talk about it. I think a lot of young girls, in particular, are even embarrassed by it. There's an expectation from quite a lot of people that women suffer from period pain, and it's important that we acknowledge that it's not just a few little cramps; it can actually affect people's whole lives. They can have to stay in bed for days on end through the pain. It can affect their jobs and education. It's an important topic, and I'm pleased to have been able to speak about it.

Matt O'Sullivan (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We'll now move to senators' two-minute statements.