Latest news with #Endometriosis
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Michigan woman shares her experience suffering from Endometriosis
HASLETT, Mich.(WLNS)—A Mid-Michigan woman shares her journey about her on-going struggle with Endometriosis. Endometriosis is a condition where tissue from the lining of the uterus grows in other parts of the body, often causing pain and even putting a woman's fertility at risk. March is Endometriosis Awareness Month and Maddie Mehigh says she constantly uses her heating pad to combat painful cramps caused by the disorder. 'For me, it's in my abdomen, my ribcage, mostly, and then it gets into my back pretty severely,' said Mehigh. Mehigh was diagnosed with Endometriosis at 13 years old and says her condition makes even the simplest things like going to school and working, twice as hard. 'I've missed a lot of days of school due to it,' said Mehigh. 'I was always very very sick.' It's a condition that brings many women unbearable pain and unfortunately comes with common misconceptions. 'People often assume it's just a period disease, and it's very much not that,' said Mehigh. 'It's found from head to toe. People often think you can be too young to have it.' Because the disorder isn't visible on the outside, many people don't understand the severity of her discomfort. 'I've had several doctors tell me that I just need to see a psychiatrist,' said Mehigh. 'I was accused of being bulimic by one doctor because I was throwing up so often from not being able to keep the food down because of the inflammation was so intense.' As March slowly comes to an end, she hopes her story can shine a light on an illness, many women suffer with. 'There's the Endometriosis awareness group, and there's also Endometriosis of Michigan,' said Mehigh. 'Also educating your family and your friends on how they can support you is important.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
15-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Harvard doctors sue Trump administration over censoring LGBTQ+ terms
Two doctors and professors from Harvard Medical School are suing the Trump Administration over the removal of two research articles from a government website because they included the words 'LGBTQ' and 'trans(gender).' The two doctors describe the move as censorship and say it is antithetical to their mission as health care providers and could harm the transgender community. Keep up with the latest in + news and politics. The plaintiffs, Gordon Schiff and Celeste Royce are described in the lawsuit as 'two doctors and Harvard Medical School professors who refused to censor their medical conclusions to bend to this political fiat,' adding they filed the suit 'to defend the integrity of medical research and the safety of patients from the government's dangerous, arbitrary, and unconstitutional censorship.' They sued over the removal of two articles from the government-run Patient Safety Network (PSNet). 'Endometriosis: A Common and Commonly Missed and Delayed Diagnosis' was co-authored by Royce, and 'Multiple Missed Opportunities for Suicide Risk Assessment in Emergency and Primary Care Settings' was co-authored by Schiff. Both articles contained a sentence referencing the transgender, gender-nonconforming, or LGBTQ+ community. PSNet is run by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), which is part of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). According to the lawsuit, Schiff received an email from Patrick Romano, a co-editor of PSNet, saying the articles were being removed from the site in response to an email directive from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) ordering the removal of any content that might be in non-compliance with the White House's executive order on gender identity. Romano provided further explanation of the decision in a follow-up email to the Editor-in-Chief of the Bellevue Literary Review. 'Per this memo, AHRQ staff were given until 5pm ET Friday to 'Take down all outward facing media (websites, social media accounts etc.) that promote or inculcate gender ideology.'' Romano wrote. 'Based on guidance provided to AHRQ staff, this instruction from OPM was interpreted to include anything with the words 'transgender,' 'nonbinary,' or 'gender identity.' The phrase 'LGBTQ' is problematic because it includes that letter T for 'transgender.' The doctors are represented by the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts and the Media Freedom and Information Access Clinic at Yale Law School. 'Good doctors serve and advocate for their patients, whoever they are,' Royce said in a statement. 'We cannot uphold an oath to Do No Harm if our training and research are politicized.' 'This type of wholesale, non-evidence-based removal endangers everyone's safety,' Schiff said in a statement. 'Censoring information about transgender people or anyone a politician does not like, who have documented increased risks of negative health outcomes, is antithetical to the very mission of public health.' 'Our clients were given an impossible choice between removing their article from PSNet entirely or censoring parts of it,' Rachel Davidson, a staff attorney at the ACLU of Massachusetts, said in a statement. 'This is an intentional erasure of knowledge, an attack on the integrity of scientific research, and an affront to the public's need for accurate, adequate health information.' The suit argues that the government violated the First Amendment free speech rights of the doctors and the Administrative Procedure Act for removing articles without cause. The OPM, AHRQ, and HHS are named as defendants in the suit.
Yahoo
07-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Women with endometriosis earn less on average after being diagnosed
Gutting new research published by the Office of National Statistics has found that those with endometriosis, a condition where tissue similar to that in the lining of the womb is found growing elsewhere in the body, earn less on average. The stark new study (which looked at the income of 55,000 people) sadly shows just how much of an impact the condition can have on sufferers and how many employers are still not adequately set up to support those with endometriosis. After receiving an endometriosis diagnosis, study participants saw a drop of £56 per month in income in the four to five years post-diagnosis, this is when compared to the two years prior to learning of their condition. Just as a reminder: on average, it takes almost nine years to receive an endometriosis diagnosis. Symptoms of the condition can be debilitating and range from excruciating periods to bowel and bladder problems, full body fatigue, poor mental health, extreme bloating and fertility issues. Following the data's release, leading charity Endometriosis UK highlighted how many with the condition are forced to take on part-time work rather than full-time roles in order to accommodate pain flare-ups, or opt for lower paid work for other reasons linked to having endometriosis. Some women have had to leave their jobs after employers have refused to let them work from home on days that they have been in pain. Emma Cox, CEO of Endometriosis UK, said the new research shines a much needed spotlight on just one aspect of how endometriosis can impact a person's life. "Those with endometriosis symptoms shouldn't have to worry about losing their job, having to change career, or feel restricted in the types of work they can do," she explained. "Symptoms vary person to person, from mild or no symptoms to very severe. We need employers to understand endometriosis and overcome myths and embarrassment about periods and menstrual health, and support their employees," Cox continued. "Our Endometriosis Friendly Employer scheme shows that where workplaces provide support, understanding and reasonable adjustments for endometriosis – as they should for any medical condition – they can retain talented employees." Cox continued on to say as well as employers developing a greater awareness of and support system for those with endometriosis, the NHS needs to prioritise decreasing the wait time for a diagnosis and improving access to treatments. This comes as there are concerns that women's health has fallen off the agenda as the government tries to focus in on reducing ambulance wait times and shrink waiting lists overall. Many women with endometriosis, which can sometimes be helped by surgery, have reported getting into debt after paying for private healthcare after struggling with NHS wait times, medical misogyny and a lack of understanding from medical staff. 'As well as employers understanding endometriosis, we need the NHS to speed up diagnosis and access to treatments, and more research investment to further understand the impact of the disease and find new treatments," adds Cox. "We also eagerly await the Government's response to the Women and Equalities committee report that recommends amending the Employment Rights Bill to include those with endometriosis and other menstrual health conditions - in line with Endometriosis UK's own campaign." You Might Also Like A ranking of the very best hair straighteners - according to our Beauty Editors Best party dresses to shop in the UK right now 11 products you'd be mad to miss from the Net A Porter beauty sale
