Bindi Irwin Shares Her Painful Experience With Endometriosis

After battling endometriosis for ten years, Bindi Irwin, the beloved Australian TV programme personality in America, underwent surgery to treat the condition. Endometriosis causes the tissue that typically borders the uterus to develop on the exterior of the organ.

Irwin, a conservationist, carries on the humanitarian work of her family that is dedicated to the environment, and also frequently stars in several TV programmes. Her father, an Australian naturalist and television host Steve Irwin was killed by a stingray in 2006 while shooting near the Great Barrier Reef. Bindi Irwin married Chandler Powell in 2020 and had a daughter Grace Warrior Irwin Powell the next year. She admitted she struggled with the decision of whether to speak out about her experiences for the benefit of others who could be going through a similar circumstance. She decided to do so on 8 March, signifying both Women’s Day as well as Endometriosis Awareness Month.

Bindi Irwin Experiences Endometriosis

The Australian TV personality and wildlife expert posted a picture of herself in a hospital bed on Instagram, and wrote that after several tests, scans, and medical visits, one specialist told Irwin her problems were 'simply something you deal with as a woman.' Functioning through the pain was unbearable for her. Irwin chose to get surgery on the advice of a friend. She revealed that medical professionals discovered 37 lesions and a chocolate cyst, an ovarian cyst filled with menstrual blood. Irwin hoped that by writing about her experience, she would help eliminate the stigma associated with the ailment and encourage others to seek the treatment they need.

Endometriosis is a chronic disorder in which tissue that resembles the lining of the womb develops in several bodily organs, including the ovaries and fallopian tubes. Although there is no proven cure, treatment can reduce symptoms. 10 percent of women in their reproductive years are thought to be affected by the condition, according to the Endometriosis Foundation of America. Women are frequently referred back and forth between doctors before receiving the proper diagnosis since the condition has a wide range of symptoms and because there are no blood or imaging tests for it. The illness may be uncomfortable and go undiagnosed for a long time. It can impair fertility and produce severe discomfort during periods and during intercourse, as well as pelvic pain, stomach pain, exhaustion, and nausea.

Suggested reading: I’m Thinking Of Surgery For Endometriosis. What’s Involved? Does It Work?