Ballymun public meeting aims to break silence on PMDD and endometriosis
Ballymun meeting to challenge “systemic medical misogyny” as leading activists due to speak on urgent women’s health issues tomorrow evening.
Leading campaigners on Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD) and endometriosis will address a public meeting in Axis Ballymun. Hosted by People Before Profit Councillor Conor Ready, the meeting will hear from Shauna Halpin who previously shared her experience of years of misdiagnosis on Virgin Media's Ireland AM.
PMDD affects an estimated 3–8% of women of reproductive age. Sometimes dismissed as ‘bad PMS,’ the truth is this is a a severe, cyclical hormone-related condition that can cause extreme depression, panic, rage, intrusive thoughts and suicidal ideation. For some women, it can be completely life-disrupting, affecting work, relationships and safety.
As a condition only classified by the World Health Organisation as a disease in 2019 many are unaware of the realities of PMDD. This is why Ms Halpin is campaigning to have PMDD and endometriosis included in the secondary school SPHE curriculum to raise awareness among young women who may be suffering from the conditions.
She is also highlighting the importance of including PMDD in undergraduate medical education and postgraduate medical training schemes, particularly in general practice. Having engaged with multiple members of the Oireachtas, Ms Halpin hopes to organise similar public meetings to the one occurring in Ballymun across the city and country in the near future.
“PMDD can feel like losing yourself every single month. For some women it is a matter of survival. We need awareness in schools so girls know what is normal and what is not. We need proper education for doctors so women are not dismissed. And we need a national conversation about how serious this condition can be,” Ms Halpin said.
Also speaking at the meeting will be Jodi Maloney, an endometriosis activist from West Dublin . Endometriosis affects approximately 1 in 10 women of reproductive age. It is a chronic inflammatory condition in which tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows outside the womb, often on the ovaries, bowel, bladder and other pelvic organs.
In more severe cases, it can spread beyond the pelvis. It can cause debilitating pain, heavy bleeding, fatigue, infertility and organ dysfunction. For many women it is life-limiting.
While the HSE has recently introduced a new strategy to improve care pathways for endometriosis, many women in Ireland still face years-long waits for diagnosis and specialist treatment. The average time to diagnosis internationally remains several years, with symptoms often dismissed or normalised.
“ Endometriosis is a whole-body inflammatory disease that can take over your life. It impacts education, employment, fertility and mental health. We need specialist services that are accessible, properly funded and responsive to the scale of the problem,” Ms Maloney explained.
The meeting will also be addressed by Dr. Doaa Ali of the Menocure Clinic in Dublin 11, who will speak about the importance of early recognition, multidisciplinary care and enhanced training for clinicians.
Hosted by Cllr Reddy, the People Before Profit councillors background studying for a PhD in Immunology, means he has insider insight into just how important accurate education around medical issues are. ““As a biomedical scientist, I have seen how research funding, publishing and medical education have historically side-lined women’s health,” he said.
“Conditions like PMDD and endometriosis have been under-researched, underfunded and under-recognised. We need the state to act to undo the damage that systemic medical misogyny has caused. This begins with changes to curricula, investment in service delivery and more dedicated resourcing of public health educational campaigns targeting women.”
The public meeting will take place in the Axis Ballymun on Thursday February 19 at 7pm. It is open to all who wish to learn more about PMDD, endometriosis and the urgent need to strengthen women’s health services in Ireland.
This content is funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme