Her Campus Logo Her Campus Logo

This is a sponsored feature. All opinions are 100% from Her Campus.

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at UGA chapter.

When it comes to women’s health issues, we tend to keep things a little hush-hush. We avoid talking about what goes on “down there,” whether out of politeness or out of embarrassment. Even when we are experiencing troubling symptoms, social stigmas surrounding our bodies keep us quiet. Well, be quiet no more because SpeakENDO is here to bring the issue of endometriosis to light.

What’s endometriosis?

Endometriosis is a chronic and painful disease that affects an estimated 1 in 10 women of reproductive age. It occurs when tissue that acts a lot like the lining of your uterus starts growing outside of your uterus where it doesn’t belong. This can lead to painful periods, painful sex and pelvic pain in-between periods. Every woman is different and may experience different symptoms, or even no symptoms at all—take this quiz to see if you are experiencing symptoms that may be associated with endometriosis and talk to your doctor about the results.

Now that we know what endometriosis is, what’s SpeakENDO?

SpeakENDO is an initiative that strives to raise awareness of endometriosis for those who are unfamiliar with the disease, women trying to understand their symptoms and women who are already diagnosed. SpeakENDO is sponsored by AbbVie and offers information about endometriosis, true stories about women living with the disease and resources to help women have a better conversation with their healthcare provider. Check out the online support groups for endometriosis here.

As women, don’t forget to SPEAK UP and share your thoughts and comments using #SpeakENDO on social media. Sign up for emails on the SpeakENDO website for more information.

You should always feel empowered to talk about what’s going on with your body. Keep speaking up, because endometriosis awareness matters.

Sponsored by AbbVie and SpeakENDO

Gabby Melfi is a Campus Correspondent for Her Campus at UGA. She has been a member of Her Campus since her first semester in college. She is an Advertising major and Sociology minor. Her quirks include, but are not limited to: height under five feet, avid DVD collector, fast-food lover, cuddles animals she's allergic to, and obsessive thrift shopping.
Maggie is pursing a Public Relations degree with a certificate in Public Affairs Communications at the University of Georgia. Her favorite cities are Washington, D.C. and Orlando, Florida. Her regular Starbucks order is a grande iced vanilla coffee, and you can find her on Instagram and Twitter @maggie_cav.