Eye-opening footage shows what endometriosis actually looks like inside the body as women praise new BBC doc
Warning: This article contains graphic footage and imagery which some readers may find distressing.
BBC Two has recently released an eye-opening documentary all about endometriosis, a condition which 10% of women worldwide have, according to Endometriosis UK.
The doc, titled Emma Barnett: Fighting Endometriosis, follows the British broadcaster who has lived with endometriosis since childhood, suffering from severe, chronic pain that she describes as 'like having a drill inside my stomach that is going down into my organs'.
Facing worsening symptoms, she documented her condition in the landmark BBC doc, which premiered at the start of this month (1 June).
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During the doc, viewers are shown real footage of what endometriosis actually looks like inside the body, and women are rushing to social media to shower the documentary with praise for raising awareness on the 'excrutiating' health condition.
Take a look:
The NHS explains that endometriosis is where cells similar to those in the lining of the womb (uterus) grow in other parts of the body. It can have a big impact on your life, but there are treatments that can help.
Endometriosis is often found in areas around the womb, such as the ovaries, fallopian tubes and lining of the pelvis.
It also sometimes affects organs, such as the bladder and bowel. Sometimes, endometriosis is found in areas outside the pelvis, such as in the chest.
Symptoms happen when patches of endometriosis break down and bleed but cannot leave your body.
You might have some symptoms during your period, such as:
- severe period pain, that stops you from doing your normal activities
- heavy periods, where you need to change your pads or tampons every one to two hours, or you may bleed through to your clothes.
You can have other symptoms at any time, such as:
- pain in your lower tummy and back (pelvic area)
- pain when you poo or pee
- pain during or after sex
- extreme tiredness (fatigue)
- pain or bleeding in other areas, such as in the chest, which may cause shortness of breath and coughing up blood
After catching light of the footage, many women rushed to social media to share their overwhelming praise for the doc, which shone a light on the major women's health issue.
One Instagram user penned: "So glad this is being broadcast and spoken about! Us woman are suffering!!!"
"'Even if your whole belly was grown full of endometriosis, it wouldn’t cause this pain, and since you don’t want children, we don’t see a reason to perform laparoscopy on you' said the so-called specialist to me after I waited over six months to see her. Lo and behold, a year later, another specialist found extensive endometriosis, and yes, that was the cause of my excruciating pain," shared a second.
A third chimed in: "Ouch! No wonder it feels like a literal knife stabbing."
"This is exactly how it feels… This is so f*cking validating wtf…" lamented a fourth as a fifth agreed: "It's a traumatising disease."
A sixth gushed: "This made me cry because of how she must have been in so much pain and that it was crushing, causing more pain for her, bless and the fact she waited 25 years."
"It feels just how it looks," echoed a seventh as an eighth wrote: "Yes, I described the pain like someone stabbing me hard with a blunt instrument like a screwdriver."
Another commented: "No wonder I was blacking out in pain."
And a final Instagram user added: "Keep showing this stuff. Women have been sidelined for too long now in all health aspects in a system that was designed for men. Why has it taken so many years in the modern world for these problems to come to light? Keep pushing and flooding the media, make some good use of it."
If you have been affected by the contents of this article, please find more information and support via Endometriosis UK on their website, or call 0808 808 2227.
Topics: Women's Health, Health, Life, Endometriosis, Periods
Rhiannon Ingle