Endometriosis: A Guide for Girls

This valuable guide, both informative and moving, promotes endometriosis awareness for young women and those around them.--School Library Journal

From the award-winning Dr. Tamer Seckin comes a book written for all of the Endo Warriors out there, from the thirteen-year-old girl who is being told that her pain is "part of becoming a women," to the woman who has been misdiagnosed for decades--and needs to know she is not alone.

Every girl has the right to be pain-free. To live the life they want to live. The journey toward new and happy lives for young women begins now!

Endometriosis is a physically and mentally debilitating disease that has tortured women for centuries. It currently affects 176 million of childbearing age worldwide, including one in ten in the U.S. Despite those startling statistics, this horrific and incurable ailment is still relatively unknown to the general population and medical professionals alike. Symptoms of heavy periods and excruciating pain most often begin in middle school or high school, yet doctors take an average of twelve years to diagnose it in a patient. As a result, these undiagnosed and misdiagnosed women suffer into at least their mid-twenties or early thirties, repeatedly told that the pain is in their minds, that it's simply part of becoming a woman, or that it's caused by some other disease or condition. That nonsense must stop, and it must stop now!

This book will explain what endo is in terms that adolescents can understand, along with potential remedies, treatments to avoid, and how to manage the psychological and social effects of the disease. It will also include riveting stories from women in their teens and mid-twenties, and from those closest to them such as mothers, fathers, teachers, and coaches. One of the most terrifying aspects of having endo is feeling like nobody believes the pain is real or severe, which can cause a woman to feel scared, isolated, and depressed. This book will fully arm her with the truth and knowledge about the disease so that she can overcome her fears and confidently advocate for herself. If her cry for help has been dismissed by anyone, she will be able to educate them so that they can empathize with her and fully support her in her quest for healing.