EVEN if you do not live with endometriosis yourself, you almost certainly know someone who does.
It is a cruel condition that causes years of severe and debilitating pain for women and girls. It affects every part of their lives, including work and education. It can lead to fertility problems and, in many cases, long-term damage to health.
News this week that the average time to diagnose endometriosis in the north has reached almost ten years will be devastating for those affected. Waiting nearly a decade for answers is unacceptable, and a stark reminder that change is long overdue.
Across the island, in Stormont, the Dáil and beyond, Sinn Féin has pressed for urgent reform of endometriosis services. Recently, parties in the Assembly supported our motion calling on the Health Minister to establish specialist services and work with the Dublin government to develop them on an all-island basis.
Tackling endometriosis must be central to delivering equality in healthcare and improving quality of life for thousands of people and families across the North.
As chair of a cross-party group on women’s health, I regularly hear from women and girls living with this condition. What they describe is heartbreaking: years of pain, dismissal and delay before they receive proper care.
This reflects a wider failure in women’s healthcare in the north. It is not fit for purpose and it must change.
Every woman deserves timely diagnosis, treatment and support. That standard is not being met.
To those who continue to campaign for progress, thank you. Your voices matter. And we will continue pressing the Health Minister to deliver the services women deserve and are entitled to.
Órlaithí Flynn is a Sinn Féin MLA for West Belfast.
