What Is Your Pelvic Pain Trying to Tell You?
March marks Endometriosis Awareness Month.
It is a chronic condition that is all too often suffered in silence. It affects around 1.5 million women and costs the UK economy £8.2bn a year in loss of productivity and health care costs. We want to shed light on this condition by highlighting a common symptom; pelvic pain. Almost 30 percent of women will develop a pelvic floor disorder, at some point in their lives. Yet, only 4 in 10 women know what their pelvic floor is.
Pelvic pain has a significant impact on quality of life. Living with the stigma and emotional distress of pain can be torturous. And its ripple effect goes far beyond comfort; it affects relationships, careers, sexuality and fertility.
We surveyed our community and found that pelvic pain was experienced by ages 17 to 76, with the average age being 28. 74% have only been given painkillers to treat pelvic pain, with only 40% being further investigated.
Throughout history, society and the medical community dismissed female reproductive issues as being part of ‘womanhood’. But pelvic pain is a warning sign and can lead to long-term health issues, if not treated early. Over 60% felt they were not taken seriously by doctors, when they first shared their pelvic pain.
The most frequent pain experienced by our community is: 86% during sexual penetration, 80% in the vulva area, 67% from strong period pains and 50% from recurrent UTIs. Most doctors fail to guide their patients on improving their intimate health or sex life, so we are opening the bedroom door; our team of international experts and doctors are here to answer those uncomfortable questions and offer advice on sexual health.
Our pelvic floor rehabilitation expert with over 30 years of experience, Rita Anna di Molfetta says,"Studies show that sexual desire, satisfaction during sex and pelvic problems with intercourse are largely affected by pain and significantly improved after a few months of treatment and therapy. This is true in some cases of endometriosis, and in most cases of pelvic floor dysfunctions. Pain is at the core of most symptoms women experience in the genital area. However, not all women have the knowledge or have been given the access for help. On average it takes over 7 years to get diagnosed with endometriosis, in the UK."
It’s evident from the data collected, that disregarding female pain is still prevalent in our society. We want to drive social change. We want to celebrate and empower women; to listen and educate them on important issues. We want to spread awareness, so women can finally be understood.
VirginiaSofia Cerrone, cofounder of pureeros says, "We want women to be more in-tune with their bodies and detect health issues early on. We want to give them reliable products and clear guides on how to relieve pain to improve their quality of life. With this in mind, we created a 10-part series to help women take control of their pelvic health."