Nope, your period shouldn't hurt that much

Horrible cramps, stomach problems and bloating, pain radiating down the legs, exhaustion and irregular periods? It could be endometriosis. 

Far too many people grow up thinking that periods are supposed to be painful. Far too many settle for sick days, clumsily pop many painkillers and grit their teeth when the pain is at its worst. And it is perhaps not so strange, when health nurses at schools, GPs and gynecologists write off both girls and women who seek help to overcome painful periods or other diffuse ailments. 

It is perhaps not so strange that it takes an average of 7 years before you are diagnosed with endometriosis, when the advice and help you come across is "combine Ibux and Paracet, it will probably go away", or well-intentioned words that "it's completely normal to experience pain during menstruation". 

Endometriosis? What the hell is that? 

Endometriosis is a disease that affects 1 in 10 women, which in Norway corresponds to well over 250,000 individuals. The disease can and does occur in transgender and non-binary people. Many also believe that the disease can have large dark figures, as the diagnosis time is very long. 

Quickly explained, you can say that endometriosis is a chronic disease, which can affect the whole body. When tissue similar to the lining of the uterus occurs elsewhere in the body, you have endometriosis. The tissue is not the same as the endometrium, although many have long believed this. Differentiating between the types of tissue is important, especially because many people have previously been told that removing the uterus will cure endometriosis. This is not true, but is correct when it comes to the cousin disease, adenomyosis. In those with adenomyosis, it is correct to say that the tissue that is normally inside the uterus begins to grow into the muscle wall of the uterus itself. 

 Read more about adenomyosis here.  

It is common to find endometriosis tissue in the pelvis, around the ovaries, fallopian tubes, outside the uterus and in the area between the uterus and rectum. Endometriosis can also be found on the bowel, bladder and other places in the body. The symptoms of endometriosis are often painful periods, pain in the stomach and intestines also outside the period, pain during ovulation, bloating, pain during intercourse, exhaustion, and for some heavier bleeding during periods. 

Want to learn more about endometriosis? Check out this carefully developed text written by the Endometriosis Association, in collaboration with senior physician at OUS Ullevål, Jenny Alvirovic. 

Pain should not be normalized 

There are countless examples where young women's pain has been normalized and written off. After years of suffering, many are fortunately taken more seriously, and receive a proper examination. When endometriosis is discovered, it can result in relief and a feeling of "not having been a hypochondriac after all." It shouldn't be like this. Anyone who reports aches and pains should be listened to and examined. 

Detecting endometriosis early is valuable. Both for the individual who struggles with the disease, as untreated endometriosis can lead to infertility and such great suffering that in the end one's quality of life is significantly reduced, but also for society in general. If the disease does not have the opportunity to develop in secret, for example, more people will be able to work longer and longer. Everyone benefits from that. 

If more people knew about endometriosis, both the treatment offer and the diagnosis time we see in Norway today would probably be significantly better. So what can you do? Read about endometriosis, talk about endometriosis and share information about endometriosis with your GP and gynecologist. Refer people to the Endometriosis Association , and spread knowledge. Together, we can lift this patient group into the light, and help so many people have a better life. 

The Endometriosis Association is a small nationwide association, which is run by volunteers. The association works with information dissemination and public education, and tries to ensure a better treatment offer and a reduced diagnosis time for everyone with endometriosis.