Because living with pain shouldn’t be the expectation.
Endometriosis is a painful pelvic condition that affects 1 in 10 Canadian women. Despite its prevalence, endometriosis is underdiagnosed and undertreated.
Through funding from BC Women’s Health Foundation, the Women’s Health Research Institute and BC Women’s Hospital + Health Centre are advancing the understanding and care of endometriosis-associated pelvic pain to help women in BC and beyond look ahead to a pain-free future.
Dr. Paul Yong
Associate Director, Women’s Health Research Institute
Gynecologist + Research Director, BC Women’s Centre for Pelvic Pain + Endometriosis
Endometriosis affects millions worldwide, yet too many people face years of symptoms before receiving a diagnosis.
Endometriosis is a complex, often very painful condition that occurs when tissue similar to the uterine lining grows outside the uterus, typically on the ovaries, bladder, or bowel. It’s one of the leading causes of pelvic pain and can affect every aspect of daily life and cause symptoms such as:
Together, we can help close the gaps in understanding and care.
Donations to BC Women’s Health Foundation fuel groundbreaking research, while also supporting trusted, evidence-based information and digital tools that help people better understand endometriosis and pelvic pain and access support sooner.
When we invest in women’s health research, we change lives.
“More funding means more support for young women experiencing period pain.” – Zeba Khan, Women’s Health Research Institute member, UBC PhD student
For generations, women have been told to live with period pain. But pain that disrupts daily life is not normal and it should not be dismissed. PeriodPain.ca is one example of research in action.
This digital tool — co-designed by youth with lived experience of period pain, along with medical professionals at the Women’s Health Research Institute and the University of British Columbia — is helping young people understand what’s normal, what’s not, and when to seek care.
Understanding is where support starts.
Watch what happens when three Vancouver Whitecaps FC players agree to try a period pain simulator to experience for just a few minutes what more than half the population experiences.
Many thanks to Vancouver Whitecaps FC players Sebastian Berhalter, Andres Cubas and Ryan Gauld, our co-hosts Sarita Patel with Cally Wesson, and to Somedays for providing the simulators and technical support.
No players were harmed in the making of this video.
Your support helps fund research that leads to better answers, better care and real change for women’s health in BC and beyond.
