We are thrilled to announce three additions to our growing list of local support groups. The groups have been created in Wales, to support the estimated tens of thousands in the country with suspected or diagnosed endometriosis.
The support groups launch midway through Endometriosis Action Month, shortly after new figures from our diagnosis report revealed that it now takes an average of nearly 10 years to get diagnosed with the disease in Wales – the highest figure in the UK.
The three new groups – the Endometriosis UK Swansea Group, Endometriosis UK West Wales Group (led by a volunteer living in Tenby) and Endometriosis UK Wrexham Group – offer peer-to-peer support and a chance to share stories, information and advice, both online and at in-person meet-ups and events.
Heatherjane Dangerfield, Welsh Development Co-ordinator at Endometriosis UK, says: “The theme of Endometriosis Action Month this year is ‘could it be endometriosis?’ - we’re encouraging healthcare professionals, as well as those experiencing symptoms, and their friends, family and colleagues, to find out more about the disease."
Jennifer Hughes-Cooke, who has set up the Endometriosis UK West Wales Group, says: “I first went to my GP complaining of excruciating periods at 14. At 17, I was referred to a gynaecology specialist, but was sent away being told I was ‘just one of those unfortunate women’. It wasn’t until I was aged 20, not long after a very difficult but fortunately successful pregnancy, that any doctor even mentioned the word ‘endometriosis’. I was finally formally diagnosed, and had adhesions removed from my ovaries, aged 29, in 2022.
During my long wait for diagnosis, I followed Endometriosis UK on social media, and while it was helpful to know there were others out there in a similar position, I wished there was more local support, so I’m grateful to the charity for helping me create this group. I think it’s so important to be able to talk to people who know what you’re going through, whether it’s just to listen and empathise, or to provide practical tips to help you navigate referrals and appointments and everything else."
The Wrexham group will be led by Katie from Wrexham, and the Swansea Group by Danielle Woodberry.
Danielle says her symptoms got worse after she chose to stop taking the contraceptive pill in 2022, and that she “craved finding someone who had been through the same journey” as she sought a diagnosis, while Katie comments: “For me, living with endometriosis is an exhausting daily battle. I felt very lonely on my diagnosis journey, which is what inspired me to create a support group with Endometriosis UK.”
We encourage anyone interested in joining the new groups to visit our support groups page, or the relevant Facebook page or email address below:
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For Swansea - facebook.com/groups/992620768495966 or Swanseagroup@endometrosis-uk.org
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For West Wales - facebook.com/groups/651010666941243 or Westwales@endometriosis-uk.org
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For Wrexham - facebook.com/groups/317621694556893 or wrexhamgroup@endometriosis-uk.org
Endometriosis UK’s support groups welcome anyone impacted by the disease, including the friends and loved ones who support someone with endometriosis and those who do not yet have a formal diagnosis.
