Wear yellow and bring endometriosis out of the shadows

Monday 01 March 2021

Islanders are being invited to wear yellow and join a number of online events to raise awareness and support the women who suffer from what's been described as a "painful", "silent" and "secretive" illness.

Endometriosis Jersey has planned an online 10k walk, yoga class and family quiz as well as a raffle as part of Endometriosis Awareness month.

Endometriosis is an often painful and long-term condition where tissue that normally lines the womb starts growing in other places, for which there is no cure.

It can affect any woman at any age and continues throughout a woman’s life until menopause.

The group was founded last year by Kate Smaller. who was diagnosed with the condition at the age of 19 and was recently registered as a non-profit organisation.

It is open not only to women who live with the condition but also to their families, friends and partners.

With its NPO registration in hand, the group is aiming to raise funds throughout the year to fund the creation of educational leaflets about endometriosis for younger children, so that young girls who might be experiencing pain during their periods know what the condition is.  

The group currently organises monthly catch-ups where sufferers of all ages and supporters can meet and discuss endometriosis and how it affects them. 

Some women have now become regulars, but Kate says she has particularly enjoyed seeing parents and family members come in as it shows their willingness to support.

One of Endometriosis Jersey’s missions is to educate women about the condition and the different ways to deal with the varied symptoms. The meetings have therefore been useful for all attending, with women sharing their varied experiences and the tools they have used.

“We learn something new in every catch-up,” Jennifer, one of the group members, said.

“It’s such a complex thing, it can affect a lot of different organs. We are trying to get through so much information. We want to try and educate the women on how best to talk about their symptoms so they can get the best out of their appointments.”

“We can see that there is an almost good friendship between the hospital and us but there is also a lack of communication,” Kate said. “They don’t necessarily have the tools or the time to help us but the sufferers also have to take responsibility with not being clear with what we want to see. We need to be better educated!

“We do not like seeing people unhappy, but it’s a very unhappy illness. We want to be a mediator so we can go and ask the sufferers, ‘What do you need from us?’ and go to the hospital and say, ‘This is what they need.'

“The more people speak, the more we learn, the better the healthcare will be.”

The group also wants to raise awareness of the condition among islanders as a whole. Their goal is to ensure that anyone they stop on the street can spell endometriosis. 

To mark Endometriosis Awareness Month, they have planned a series of online events which anyone can take part in. This includes a 10k walk or run, a yoga class, a family quiz, all of which can be accessed for a minimum donation of £5 as well as a raffle.

In addition to the events, the group wants islanders to show their support by wearing yellow throughout the month of March.

“It’s kind of powerful that support and connection with other women,” Jennifer said.

“Endometriosis is a very silent and almost secretive illness that people are private about but that does not mean we do not recognise the support,” Kate added. 

“We also have a pin badge which features our logo, a native Jersey wildflower which was used in the past for its healing properties, that people can wear so that women can recognise that they are not alone that there is a community out there.

“We are looking forward to a positive month, we would love to see people wear a bit of yellow when they go to town. It’s a really happy colour so it’s going to be a really joyous month!”

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