March is endometriosis awareness month. But here’s the thing about these months: they tend to highlight something we should be paying more attention to all the time. Endometriosis is a condition in which tissue similar to the lining inside the uterus (called “the endometrium”), is found outside the uterus, where it causes a chronic inflammatory reaction.

Symptoms include painful periods, painful ovulation, painful sex, heavy bleeding, chronic pelvic pain, and fatigue. It’s also a major cause of infertility. The disease affects an estimated one in ten women in their reproductive years.

In Episode One, we took a deep dive into Orilissa, a new hormonal drug developed to treat endometriosis. This time, we’re zooming out.

Guests: Lucky Church, supportive husband of an endometriosis patient Linda Griffith, PhD, Founder & Director, Center for Gynopathology Research, School of Engineering, MIT, and endometriosis patient Serdar E. Bulun, MD, Chair Dept. OB/GYN, Northwestern Univ. & Prentice Women’s Hospital Amy Jane Melhuish, patient and advocate launching the EndoGate™ portal, a "global information superhighway" for patients and practitioners Marc Possover, MD, President of the International Society Of Neuropelveology and Director, Possover International Medical Center Tamer Seckin, MD, Attending physician Lenox Hill Hospital and Founder, Endometriosis Foundation of America

Ladyparts is hosted and produced by Andrea Muraskin, in partnership with Baobab Tree Studios in New Haven, Connecticut. Production help this week from Melissa Davis. The Ladyparts logo is by Jamie Squire, and our theme song is by Adam Ragusea.

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Thanks to the Endometriosis Association of America for welcoming us at their annual conference.