Meeting of the Parliament (Hybrid) 11 January 2022
I thank Rachael Hamilton for bringing such an important debate to the chamber. I know that she has championed the cause for many years.
As we have heard, endometriosis is thought to impact a staggering one in 10 women worldwide. Endometriosis UK highlights the point that its impact can be seen from puberty to menopause and, in some cases, can last a lifetime. The painful, often debilitating condition impacts many women in our country and across the globe, but awareness of it remains low and it is not given the prominence that it deserves.
Tonight’s debate will take steps towards raising awareness of endometriosis, but we must go much further: we must listen to people who have lived experience of the condition and to experts such as those at Endometriosis UK so that we can deliver what they believe is necessary to improve the day-to-day lives of people who live with the condition now, and of those who might live with it in the future.
That means that members such as me must hold the Scottish Government to account and ensure that it reaches its target of reducing the shockingly high diagnosis time of more than eight years to less than a year. We must also fight for equal access to proper care and ensure that all women have a central point of support that can provide assistance related to the impacts of endometriosis.
I welcome Maree Todd’s work on, and commitment to, the women’s health plan. Although progress has been made on it, we must acknowledge that much more needs to be done. It is fair to say that making faster progress would benefit the women who live with the condition.
We must also commit to providing age-appropriate menstrual wellbeing education. Only by removing the stigma surrounding the discussion of menstrual wellbeing will we raise awareness and tackle the issues that are staring us in the face.
Endometriosis is a condition in which tissue similar to that in the lining of the womb starts to grow in other places, such as the ovaries and fallopian tubes. Its main symptoms include painful periods; pain in the lower abdomen, pelvis or lower back; pain during and after sex; difficulty becoming pregnant; and discomfort when going to the toilet. It causes many women a long time of suffering and social and mental health problems.
One of the main difficulties that is highlighted by people with lived experience of the condition, Endometriosis UK and a wide range of healthcare professionals is that such symptoms can be attributed to many other conditions and illnesses. The condition is often missed, or it takes a long time to be diagnosed. It is therefore vital that we call for greater research into the presentation and causes of endometriosis, so that women can be provided with high-quality treatment at a much quicker rate than at present. We must also hope that research produces alternative treatments and, at some point in the future, a cure.
As we have heard, a significant amount of work is already being undertaken in our communities by individuals, groups and organisations. I have had the pleasure of meeting groups, such as the group in the Scottish Borders, that are doing a tremendous amount of work to support those who live with the condition and to hold us decision makers and those in the health services to account. We must commend the work that individuals and organisations do, because, without their support, advice and advocacy, many more women would have faced the difficulties alone.
I once again thank Rachael Hamilton for highlighting the importance of raising awareness of the condition, and I thank members who have spoken in the debate. I hope that this debate is the start and not the end of a heightened focus on the condition in the Parliament and beyond.
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