Whereas following the passage of the Ontario NDP bill declaring March as Endometriosis Awareness Month, the Province of Ontario has more work to do.
Whereas raising public awareness of endometriosis is a key first step in helping people understand the condition and access the treatment they deserve.
Whereas Endometriosis affects at least one in 10 girls, women, and unmeasured numbers of Two-Spirit, trans and gender-diverse individuals of reproductive age. This disease can cause debilitating conditions, including chronic pelvic pain, fatigue and infertility. It can lead to the formation of lesions, cysts, nodules and other abnormal tissue growths.
Whereas despite the health challenges caused by endometriosis, there are substantial diagnostic delays and barriers to clinical and surgical care. According to the Endometriosis Network of Canada, it takes approximately five to 11 years to be diagnosed due to a lack of public awareness.
Whereas once diagnosed, individuals in Canada can wait upwards of 2 years and more for specialized surgical and chronic pain care. Because there is no cure for endometriosis, those who suffer may also require lifelong follow-up.
Whereas research shows that living with endometriosis can translate to one or more missed school days per month for youth and a loss of 10 hours of productivity per week for adults, costing the Canadian economy $1.8 billion per year.
Therefore, we, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to:
(1) establish and fund an Ontario Endometriosis Action Plan through public consultation that:
(i) reflects priorities and outcomes important to individuals with endometriosis;
(ii) addresses the painful backlog of surgeries with a system-wide infusion of funding;
(iii) promotes improved equitable and fast access to diagnosis, management and care through a Centre for Excellence model;
(iv) increases awareness and education of endometriosis to health care providers and the public;
(v) ensures earlier education about menstruation and “what is a normal period” in our schools;
(vi) supports specific research on the causes and impacts of endometriosis, uterine fibroids and chronic pelvic pain, including that affecting BIPOC communities.
