Documenting the lack of research, advocacy, and space in the healthcare system, Below the Belt tries to dismantle the stigma surrounding endometriosis.
To raise awareness for the disease, the Queen’s University department of obstetrics and gynecology and the Queen’s Medicine Women’s Health Interest Group hosted a screening of the PBS documentary Below the Belt on Jan. 10 at the Screening Room. This was followed by a panel discussion moderated by PGY-5 Obstetrics & Gynecology student at Queen’s University Jessica Blom.
Endometriosis affects one in 10 people with uteruses, and it takes an average of six to 10 years to receive a diagnosis. Tissue similar to uterine tissue grows outside the uterus, causing severe pain in the pelvis region, also making it difficult to get pregnant.
The documentary introduced audiences to 30-year-old Jenneh, who has been to the emergency room seven times in the past two years for chronic pain related to her endometriosis. Before she was diagnosed, Jenna saw eight doctors in ten years.
Despite a career in healthcare as a nurse, Jenneh said she never heard of endometriosis until she was diagnosed.
To demonstrate the disease’s impact in everyday life, the film followed the lives of four women, ages ranging from 17 to 39, as they navigate school, careers, and pregnancy with endometriosis. It examined how endometriosis impacts the entire body.
Clinical psychologist and Queen’s Professor Jennifer Bossio spoke to the importance of multidisciplinary care in a panel after the film concluded, emphasizing that patients who suffer or have suffered from chronic pain should take a multidisciplinary approach to their treatment.
Since many patients with endometriosis remain undiagnosed, they suffer stress disorders, face life-lasting nerve damage and often suffer from infertility.
From the perspective of a healthcare worker, Jenneh said she understood why doctors were unable to diagnose her disease. Doctors are given a vocabulary and procedure that often excludes dialogue about endometriosis and, broadly, sexual and reproductive healthcare.
Even when Jenneh explained her symptoms to the doctor, she found a significant difference in their treatment of her when she was alone compared to when she was with her boyfriend.
For the next hour, the audience watched how four women from different class and racial backgrounds handled the disease to show it isn’t contained to a single demographic.
The youngest person the documentary followed was a 17-year-old high school student named Emily, who would often leave class due to endometriosis-related pain. As the granddaughter of former Utah Senator Orrin Hatch, she had the opportunity to speak with Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren about state funding in research for endometriosis.
It was importantto see how endometriosis affected teens, as it is normally diagnosed in individuals in their 30s and 40s. I found her position of privilege as a senator’s granddaughter from an upper-class family to be very telling of who is given a voice in transforming the healthcare system.
Laura’s journey was most relatable to me, as she was a Canadian living in Saskatoon, SK. She received lidocaine injections to freeze the area where she felt pain. The constant use of pain medication can have severe negative effects on one’s mental health if used for long periods of time.
Once the credits began rolling, I sat in silence as I absorbed the information about the state of reproductive care in North America.
The film was distinctly focused on U.S. healthcare and the emphasis on private sector practice. Jenneh had to empty her savings account to afford the surgery to remove her endometriosis, and Laura’s father got a second mortgage to afford surgery in the U.S.
Specialist in endometriosis and Queen’s Professor Dr. Olga Bougie touched on the difference between the Canadian and U.S. healthcare systems.
Bougie said wait times for surgery can be long, and endometriosis often requires treatment beyond surgery. She recommended patients receive physical therapy, psychological assessments, acupuncture, and physical activity to strengthen the body.
These services sometimes aren’t covered under insurance and can be too much of an expense, especially for people who have to quit their jobs due to chronic pain.
It’s still unknown how to prevent endometriosis, and individuals will often still experience pelvic pain after they have received surgery.
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