Bindi Irwin has been living with severe pain for 10 years. Staying quiet about her experience is no longer an option, the Australian conservationist shared in an emotional social media post.
Irwin, 24, opened up about her endometriosis diagnosis Wednesday, coinciding with International Womens Day and Endometriosis awareness month because she felt a responsibility to help other women.
Every part of my life was getting torn apart because of the pain, Irwins post reads.
For years, the disorder caused Irwin insurmountable fatigue, pain & nausea, Irwin writes, whos the daughter of television star and crocodile hunter Steve Irwin. She decided to have surgery, in which doctors discovered 37 lesions that were difficult to remove along with a cyst filled with dark fluid, known as a chocolate cyst, according to her post.
Validation for years of pain is indescribable, she writes.
Sharing my journey. pic.twitter.com/0oKiLlHyOb
Bindi Irwin (@BindiIrwin) March 7, 2023
What is endometriosis?
Endometriosis affects about 10% of women of reproductive age between roughly ages 15 and 44. The disorder manifests when tissue that normally lines the uterus grows outside of it. The tissue can grow on reproductive organs like the fallopian tubes and the ovaries, which is why the condition can lead to infertility.
The World Health Organization describes the condition as bringing about life-impacting pain in some instances.
The pain associated with the disorder stems from the inflammation, scarring and painful cysts that occur as a result of the tissue growth, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine.
Symptoms include painful menstrual cycles, pain during intercourse, fatigue, persistent pelvic pain, and irregular or heavy menstruation.
The persistent dismissal of womens pain
Irwin shares how she tried to live with the pain and just put a smile on her face.
Tring to remain a positive person & hide the pain has been a very long road, she writes.
Despite the disorders commonality, women are largely left in the dark about their options and decide to stay silent. Many can feel shame in not being able to function as they usually would.
It makes you feel like a weak person and you know youre not, Christy Reyes previously told TODAY. Its extremely frustrating and sad when you have girlfriends and everyone wants to go out and youre like, Im sorry guys. I really dont feel well and everybodys like Oh its just your period. Its not that big of a deal.
This experience can lead women to judge their pain and blame themselves for having psychological distress due to the dismissal. A Washington Post analysis last year found that gender bias in medicine has led to the minimization of womens pain; many women who manage chronic pain become seen as dramatic. Medical gaslighting affects women, LGBTQ+ people, older individuals, and people of color at higher rates, leaving them at a loss for adequate treatment because they can fear speaking out.
We speak in settings where we feel safe and where we feel valued, Dr. Negin Hajizadeh, a pulmonary and critical care physician at the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell previously told Fortune. Meaning, we wont speak if we are fearful of judgment and negative consequences based on what we sayFor some communities, we dont know that we are expected to speak and that if we dont, assumptions are made that will hurt us.
That exact phenomenon happened to Irwin when she sought help for her endometriosis.
A doctor told me it was simply something you deal with as a woman & I gave up entirely, trying to function through the pain, she writes.
But women shouldnt have to accept pain as a given. Irwin joins a growing number of celebritiesincluding Amy Schumer, Mandy Moore, and Padma Lakshmiwho have decided to share their endometriosis experiences to propel the conversation forward.
The variable and broad symptoms of endometriosis mean that healthcare workers do not easily diagnose it and many individuals suffering from it have limited awareness of the condition, according to the WHO. This can cause a lengthy delay between onset of symptoms and diagnosis.
While most treatments for endometriosis revolve around managing symptoms, surgery is an option in severe cases like Irwins to remove the adhesions and lesions caused by the tissue growth.
Irwin hopes women in her shoes know they are not alone, and that others know the devastation and isolation of living with pain that may have life-altering consequences.
Things may look fine on the outside looking in through the window of someones life, however, that is not always the case, Irwin shares. Please be gentle & pause before asking me (or any woman) when well be having more children.
Fortunes CFO Daily newsletter is the must-read analysis every finance professional needs to get ahead. Sign up today.
