What's your worst, funniest, or most awkward period story?

I am actually struggling to think of one. Probably a stain on the back of my pants one day at work that was hidden by my t-shirt, but that only served to hide it from me for a stupidly embarrassing amount of time.

What have you demystified about your female body that you wish you knew when you were younger?

How much my physical health and mental health are intertwined.

Have you been diagnosed with a women's health condition (like endometriosis, PCOS, PMDD, etc.)? If so, how did you know something wasn't right, and what was your journey like to get answers?

Yup, endometriosis. I think I knew from day one of my first period that that amount of pain wasn't right. But back then there wasn't a lot done about it sadly, even though it was only in 2005! My mum was fairly certain she had endo too, but was never diagnosed, and I wound up just trucking along for 15 years through either terrible periods or doing whatever I could to skip them entirely.

What was your diagnosis experience like?

I recall the first time I went to the doctor about it, I was just put on the pill with no further investigation - it was labelled 'bad period' and because there was a family history of them, that was used to explain them away. I still had to endure a week of cramps the week before my period started, even worse cramps including down my legs the first couple of days, and bad PMS symptoms too. I ended up coming off the pill because it didn't do much to lessen symptoms and I didn't need it to regulate anything either.

In university and the first few years of my working career, I decided to try stopping my periods so that they weren't stopping me from working. The uni doctor put me on the Depo injection AND the mini pill - which was fabulous for a while from a no-more-period point of view, but it also put me in a perimenopausal state. So, I came off that.

Then finally in 2020, somehow in between COVID lockdowns, my excellent new doctor helped me push for a specialist referral, and I had a laparoscopy to confirm what I had suspected all along - endometriosis. The locations of the lesions explained a lot of symptoms I'd been having. But the only treatment options after the excision were hormonal birth control again. I tried the Mirena IUD, which was most definitely not for me - ovarian cysts, ongoing thrush, and more sporadic cramping than ever before. My great GP didn't question me and removed it when I asked. I've been on Cerazette since, which has now stopped my periods. I don't know how long I can be on it for, but for now it's working. Like a bandaid, but working.

How has your condition changed your daily life?

It impacted all aspects of my life - work and school suffered because I was guaranteed to be out sick at least one day a month. My anxiety was worsened by the hormones and pain. The birth control I was on at uni ruined my libido. If I knew my period was due that week, I would have to cancel plans or warn people of the potential for a last-minute bail. And my energy was always low from a constant state of inflammation and regular pain.

What symptoms made you think something wasn't right with your body?

The classic horrific cramps, running down my leg too (so much fun when driving a manual car). Bad acne and mood swings. Extreme fatigue. Vomiting from pain. Pain when having a bowel motion.

Have you tried anything that has helped you manage your symptoms?

Exercise and strength training have been improving my overall health, but I only really started that journey once I was on the pill and my periods stopped. So other than birth control, pain relief, and a hot water bottle, I haven't tried many other things. Maybe one day.

What's one thing you wish more people understood about women's health?

How much it impacts your use of sick leave - 12 months in a year means 12 days off sick potentially. And with only 10 sick leave days a year, the maths ain't mathing, let alone if you actually got a flu on top of that.

If you could tell younger you one thing about your body, what would it be?

Love it. It's not perfect, but it's yours and the only one you've got.

When your body feels hard to live in, how do you take care of yourself?

I rest, I do things that I love, I spend time with people who build me up. And I try not to let myself feel guilty.