Many women take the symptoms of endometriosis as part of their menstrual symptoms, but the truth is that sharp pain could be a sign of this condition.
Jenniffer González, Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico. Photo: Provided to the Journal of Medicine and Public Health from the Commissioner’s Facebook account.
Endometriosis is a disease that affects a large number of women, not only in Puerto Rico, where the number amounts to 50,000 patients, but also an estimated 190 million women on the planet, according to the World Health Organization. Health.
Puerto Rico Resident Commissioner Jennifer Gonzalez is at the forefront of public policy leaders working to further investigate the condition of endometriosis; its main mission is to educate about its causes and direct resources towards the investigation of this disease.
Endometriosis is characterized by a tissue that is created outside the uterus, which is why, through the United States Congress, González is working to find a cure and a solution for the lives of women who suffer from this illness.
“There are many women who do not know that they have endometriosis, since it takes a long time to appear, it is the experience of women who suffer from pain during menstruation or in the lower back, and they spend years like this, visiting one doctor or another until they get the diagnosis”, highlights González.
Regarding statistics, 10% of women and girls of reproductive age suffer from this condition worldwide, that is, about 190 million women; In the United States, some 7 million women and girls are affected, and about 50,000 of them struggle with endometriosis in Puerto Rico, although the number could be much higher, due to the challenges that the timely diagnosis of this condition represents.
For this reason, education and funds are important, since this condition is still not well understood and, therefore, needs to be investigated, since there is no understanding of the origins of the disease or a cure, points out Commissioner González. Try to diagnose in a less invasive way, the commissioner also clarifies.
A woman with endometriosis can spend up to 10 years visiting doctors, without receiving a diagnosis, spending money, which leads affected women to even lose their work hours and, even more, affects them in the fact that they cannot get pregnant . The faster the condition can be diagnosed, the fewer inconveniences the woman will have in the future, the expert points out.
A girl may feel severe pain and her parents may believe this is natural, but the pain is abnormal, it occurs in the lower back and radiates accompanied by other conditions. Not receiving a diagnosis affects women, especially if she wishes to have children in the future, therefore, education is vital.
“Awareness is important,” adds the commissioner, “if this condition is not addressed in time, the dream of having a family could be truncated,” says González.
Finally, González highlights the importance of creating alternatives for the affected women, for this reason, she continues to work hard from politics to help and empower women, and that they can have as normal a life as possible, since this condition does not It only affects women, but also their families, young married couples and an entire society, without need, since, if the condition is treated in time, the panorama would be different. For this reason, research is so necessary, the use of public policies that make early diagnosis of this disease affordable.