The disease we don't talk about: what you should know about endometriosis

Last week, actress Bindi Irwin made a viral post on Instagram. Bindi is the daughter of the late Steve Irwin – the famed “Crocodile Hunter.”  Bindi is also, herself, a conservationist, but her post didn’t have to do with wildlife health. Rather, it was about her own. She said she was recovering from surgery to remove 51 lesions, a cyst, and her appendix. Prior to this, Irwin had suffered 13 years of pain from endometriosis. She wrote, “I felt utterly ashamed as a teenager and young adult being told that my pain was just part of being a woman. I felt lesser. I felt hurt. I felt weak.” Several celebrities have spoken up about their experiences with endometriosis. Padma Lakshmi, Florence Pugh, Whoopi Goldberg, Lena Dunham – the list goes on. Approximately one in ten women is affected by endometriosis. According to Yale Medicine, it’s present in up to 50% of women who are infertile. And between 50% and 80% of women with pelvic pain. But, it’s a disease that’s rarely discussed - in part because the pain experienced is often dismissed as cramps or period pain. Guest: Dr. Cindy Mosbrucker is a nationally recognized expert in minimally-invasive excision of endometriosis, as well as the diagnosis and treatment of pelvic pain in women. Her clinic is Pacific Endometriosis and Pelvic Surgery in Gig Harbor. Related stories: Nancy's Nook - recommended as a free source of endometriosis information by Dr. Mosbrucker Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.