Julian Leeser (Berowra, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I commend the member for Forrest for providing an opportunity to speak about endometriosis in the House today. I also want to acknowledge the work of the co-chairs of the Parliamentary Friends of Endometriosis Awareness, the members for Canberra and Boothby.

This is the first time I've spoken in the House since a period of parental leave, and I'd like to thank the House for giving me some time to be with my wife and son. It's particularly appropriate that I speak on this motion as the first motion since coming back, because I speak today as the husband of a woman who has endometriosis. I want to say something to the women who suffer from endometriosis on behalf of their husbands and partners: to the women in our lives going through the pain of endometriosis, know that we love you, we support you and, indeed, we think you're amazing. I've seen firsthand the pain endometriosis can cause and I've watched my wife endure that pain and multiple surgeries. I know the effect that endometriosis can have on fertility; I know how important it is to have correct diagnosis and specialty care; and I know that other sufferers of endometriosis have had it worse than even Joanna and I. My message to women experiencing period pain is: don't suffer in silence. Get it checked, ask about endometriosis, and ask and ask again.

Endometriosis is a debilitating condition that affects around one in 10 Australian women, in which the endometrium—the tissue that normally covers the inside of the uterus—grows outside and around the uterus, on other reproductive organs, the ovaries and fallopian tubes and, in extreme cases, other parts of the body. The symptoms that endo patients experience vastly differ in variety and intensity from woman to woman. According to research, 60 to 80 per cent of endo patients suffer with period pain, and 40 to 50 per cent experience chronic pelvic pain and intense dyspareunia. In 30 to 50 per cent of cases, patients suffer infertility. Twenty per cent of endometriosis patients present no symptoms at all. Endometriosis symptoms can be horribly unpleasant, but currently researchers are unclear about what causes endometriosis.

Endometriosis affects five per cent of our population, but it has received little to no attention in the media and is rarely ever featured in public discourse. As a result, there are many misconceptions about the condition in the community. This lack of awareness and understanding is prevalent among both men and women. There are far too many Australian girls and women who have suffered too silently with endo, believing their severe period pain is normal or just part of being a woman. It's particularly a problem in some ethnic communities where women's health issues remain taboo. Better endo awareness through the community means that sufferers and their families can recognise the symptoms and seek help immediately. This includes building better support networks so that diagnosed patients know they are not alone in their experiences.

As we've heard from others, there is an average 10-year delay between when sufferers of endo first develop the condition and when they receive a correct diagnosis from a medical professional. That's 10 years of suffering without answers or the correct treatment. While endo is a difficult condition to diagnose, the problem is primarily caused by a blind spot among some medical practitioners. The stories many courageous women have shared about recurring incorrect diagnoses are deeply distressing. Worse are the stories about medical professionals who suggest to children with endo that they are faking their pain for attention. It's absolutely vital that health professionals are trained in recognising the symptoms of endometriosis, and that we work to change attitudes and develop a systemic approach to diagnostics.

There is no cure for endo currently; all can be done is alleviate symptoms with lifelong personal management plans. I want to commend the work of Syl Freedman, who is an inspiration to endo sufferers around the country. I met her a couple of years ago at an AFR Women of Influence awards night where her work in endometriosis was being celebrated. In 2014 Syl and her mother, Lesley, started EndoActive with the aim to empower women with knowledge and information about endo and to campaign for more research. Syl has had multiple surgeries for endometriosis and she experienced the added ordeals that endo sufferers face, in particular: the lack of support networks, the concerning attitudes of some medical professionals and the dearth of research that was being done on causes, treatments and cures. Worst of all, it seemed to her that nobody was talking about these problems.

Syl and Lesley started a national conversation. As a result of their lobbying and hard work, and the wider Coalition for Endometriosis, the Turnbull government was proud to announce the development of the national action plan to raise awareness and provide clinical research, management plans and better medical research. The health minister, Minister Hunt, has announced that the government will commit $2.5 million from the Medical Research Future Fund to accelerate research translation in the medical research priority areas identified in the National Action Plan for Endometriosis, and that endometriosis would be a feature of this year's Women's Health Week to raise its profile. I am proud to support this motion from the member for Forrest, and I am proud to be part of a government determined to provide a national action plan to address endometriosis.

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