With his practice in Ahmedabad, endometriosis expert Dr Sandip Sonara shared a recent case of a woman’s reproductive health that elicited a loud and clear call for greater awareness. The doctor narrated the ordeal of a 32-year-old marketing professional who had endured immensely painful menstruation for almost 14 years before she was finally given a correct diagnosis.
The woman was repeatedly told throughout her teenage years and early adulthood that the pain she was experiencing was “normal.” She would force herself to go to work, take painkillers without fail, and manage her activities according to her menstrual cycle. When she finally came to see Dr Sonara, her pain was so intense she could barely do her daily routine.
After a medical scan, it was found that she suffered from advanced endometriosis — a disease in which externally, the lower uterine-like tissue grows from the inside of the abdomen. In this particular scenario, the tissue that had grown around the ovaries and the bowel was responsible for the inflammation, scarring, and the continuous pain in the pelvic region. For years, she accepted the pain of “bad periods,” not knowing that it was a chronic illness that was getting worse and worse with time.
He mentioned in particular that the disease affects one woman out of ten, and as a result, on average, the period without the appropriate diagnosis lasts for seven to ten years. The cause of such delays is also due to the fact that the signs of endometriosis are often taken less seriously and that doctors to whom patients refer may not have the skills needed for early detection of this issue.
According to him, the end of “period pain normalisation” is urgently needed. When women are told to bear intolerable pain, the following three negative consequences occur:
- New symptoms of old diseases remain unrecognized.
- Women start doubting their own symptoms.
- Delayed diagnosis leads to worsening health problems.
He believes that severe period pain is not a normal part of womanhood. In case pain continuously forces women to stop their work, sleep, or daily life, they must take the initiative to look for answers, demand detailed explanations, doubt their doctors less and consult experts if necessary.
This is not the only message the doctor wanted to deliver, as he also urged families, workplaces, and the healthcare system to be more attentive and encouraging. When someone is missing school, work, or social events due to pain experienced during menstruation, that should be considered a health issue rather than just something that has to be silently endured.
Dr Sonara’s point is that endometriosis can be cured if only recognition comes on time. Women are not to be put in a position where they have to suffer in silence and at the same time be made to feel that they are not credible — fed, evaluated, and given the proper treatment just as one would expect.
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