A charity is to open the region’s first centre to support women with endometriosis.
The condition causes tissue, similar to the lining of the uterus, to grow elsewhere in the body, including the ovaries, pelvis, bladder and bowel.
It can cause extreme pain, fatigue, heavy periods and can make it difficult to get pregnant.
Helen Brewster, co-founder of Hull and East Yorkshire Endo, said getting a diagnosis can take years.
“It roughly affects about one in ten women and those assigned female at birth, but it’s quite a misunderstood and under diagnosed condition,” she said.
“Typically a patient would probably be diagnosed with appendicitis or IBS first.”
Ms Brewster said that people can wait up to eight years for a diagnosis as it required a laparoscopy, a keyhole surgery procedure, to confirm the condition.
“We have a lot of service users who come to us and they have really good experiences, really positive and then we have just as many come forward say that they’ve had a negative experience,” she said.
The new centre at the Highlands Health Centre in Bransholme, Hull will offer a range of services.
It includes writing letters to GPs and other medical workers, as well as help in accessing benefits.
“We aren’t medically trained, so we don’t prescribe medication or anything like that,” Ms Brewster said.
“We just advise them on what’s out there, what their options are.
“Because sometimes we get a lot of people come through and the GP appointments are maybe only 10 minutes and they feel like they’ve not discussed everything with them, they’ve not quite got all the answers they needed.”
The centre will be holding an open day on 10 October. After that people can book appointments with more information on the HEYEndo website.
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