My life has been turned upside down by a condition known as Endometriosis. I began suffering from the illness from the age of 15 and was eventually diagnosed at 31. I have undergone four surgeries and am receiving long term drug treatment to manage symptoms and enable me to continue working full time as a nurse. However, these drugs have serious side effects on bone density, the cardiovascular system, joints, tendons and soft tissues, some of which are permanent. Treatment has been interrupted by one of the essential drugs I need being unavailable until September. In the meantime I am facing challenges obtaining medication to be able to continue working.

There is a great deal of work being done by EXPPECT at Edinburgh University to understand how different types of Endometriosis can be treated, there is still a long way to go before better treatment can be made available based on research evidence. This is only going to be possible with research funding for larger scale trials. 

Endometriosis affects an estimated 1 in 10 women: 176 million women worldwide. It occurs when tissue similar to the lining of the uterus is found elsewhere - most commonly in the abdomen, on the ovaries, bladder and bowel.This misplaced tissue behaves like the lining of the uterus, bleeding every month and creating local inflammation. It is associated with chronic pain, heavy bleeding, and infertility, and can impact on mental, and social wellbeing.There is no cure for women with pelvic pain and endometriosis, and there is an unmet need for better treatments.The EXPPECT team in Edinburgh aims to provide high quality, evidence-based and patient-centred management of pelvic pain and carries out pioneering endometriosis research.Your donation today will directly support our vital research work, which in turn benefits the care of women across Scotland. Thank you.