HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — March is EndometriosisAwareness Month, and several local doctors are working to shed light on the struggles women face while getting diagnosed with the disease.
Endometriosis is when tissue grows outside the uterus in places it does not belong, causing crippling pain for millions of women in America.
The symptoms of endometriosis often get overlooked, leading to years of doctor visits as women search for answers.
That is what happened to Elise Santora. She spent two years living with excruciating pain that was caused by endometriosis.
“It was a switch. All of a sudden, the pain that felt like a normal day-to-day pain that you experience with your cycle became unbearable,” Santora said.
It is a pain that many women feel, and it gets worse during their period.
ABC Action News sat down with Dr. Diana Encalada-Soto, Assistant Professor of minimally invasive gynecologic surgery, Division of Gynecologic Subspecialties in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine and Tampa General Hospital to learn more about the disease. Encalada-Soto said symptoms are pelvic pain, bad menstrual cramps and infertility.
“I think there is a lack of knowledge, and many healthcare providers have not been given the tools to recognize the disease,” Dr. Encalada-Soto said.
She said women’s health is underfunded therefore, it is under-researched, which is part of the reason it takes seven to 10 years to get diagnosed with endometriosis.
“I think there is a gender bias,” Dr. Encalada-Soto said.
If you are struggling to find answers, she suggests asking for a referral to an endometriosis surgeon.
“When the pain isn’t acknowledged, it becomes so frustrating. There were multiple times through the journey where you feel like you hit a brick wall,” Santora said.
Tampa General Hospital is hosting an event Monday evening at 6 p.m. to raise awareness at the Tampa Theatre, 711 N. Franklin Street.
Click here to read more about endometriosis.
