Teenagers are not too young to have endometriosis. Many teenagers and young women are missed and dismissed when they mention they have period pain. Period pain may be a sign that a young woman has endometriosis.
Endometriosis has been found in very young girls, especially as some are getting their period as young as 9 years old, or younger. They have found endometriosis in girls as young as 7 years old when looking for causes of abdominal pain.
Endometriosis and The Causes of Period Pain Can Be Hereditary
Just remember that endometriosis can be hereditary and if someone in your family, or yourself, has endometriosis, or has bad period pain, then there is a good chance a daughter could have this problem too.
Early Intervention and Treatment is Crucial
Early intervention is the key to treating and managing this disease. If your daughter is experiencing period pain, you need to see someone who specialises in endometriosis not just your GP. Do not ever be fobbed off by any healthcare practitioner, or just get told to put the young girl on the pill.
I often get really upset hearing stories of young girls told that they are too young to have endometriosis, or that period pain is normal and just to put up with it.
Young girls are often told to put up with the pain, go on the pill and “We will deal with it when you are ready to have children”
The problem with BS statements like this is that the longer the disease is left there the more damage it can do internally. By not getting early intervention and the right treatment early enough, it could also affect a young girl’s future fertility and potential to even have children. It makes me so angry hearing things like this.
Contraceptive Hormones Do Not Fix Endometriosis
The pill does not regulate menstrual cycles and it can mask and then exacerbate conditions such as endometriosis. The pill does not regulate a proper menstrual cycle. The pill causes a withdrawal bleed and not a proper period. Women with endometriosis need certain types of hormones to help with the suppression of the disease, but only after proper investigation, diagnosis and treatment of the disease first.
Make sure that young girls are properly assessed for the causes of period pain and then managed properly moving forward. Period pain is not normal and young women can be suffering endometriosis.
No matter what anyone tells you, teenagers are not too young to have gynaecological issues such as Endometriosis and PCOS.
We Need To Stop Telling Women That Period Pain is Normal
We need to stop telling young women that things like period pain, irregular periods and absent periods etc are normal. They are far from normal and early intervention and early management could save them a lifetime of heartache and fertility issues later on.
There Is Help Out There
If your daughter is experiencing period pain, or there is a chance that she may in fact have endometriosis and she needs help, please call my staff and find out more about how I may be able to assist you in getting your daughter the right care and management moving forward.
Take care
Regards
Andrew Orr
-No Stone Left Unturned
-Women’s and Men’s Health Advocate
-The Endometriosis Experts
-The Women’s Health Experts