It is critical that the Select Committee on Endometriosis consider the rights, views and experiences of children and young people in South Australia. This submission comes directly from young people, and the Commissioner thanks Valeria Cacerez Galvez who took the lead in writing this submission.
Endometriosis has been under researched and unacknowledged for far too long. The condition affects about one in ten people who menstruate, yet diagnosis is often delayed – the average endometriosis sufferer has a 7-year gap between the onset of symptoms and their diagnosis. Because of the diagnosis gap, many sufferers aren’t diagnosed until their late 20s or 30s. However, young menstruators can experience endometriosis symptoms from menarche, their first menstrual cycle.
The submission features three key areas:
- Counting young people in – making an active effort to consider and include young people in the inquiry into endometriosis
- The education young people want – the endorsement of a modern curriculum for menstrual education that is inclusive of all genders and sexes and is separate from relationships and sexual health
- The impacts of endometriosis on young people’s participation – acknowledging the impact that endometriosis has on young people’s participation across all areas of their lives – not just work.