On Friday, March 20 the Wexford County Council buildings will be illuminated in yellow to mark Endometriosis Awareness Month \u2013 a chronic and often painful condition that affects an estimated one in seven women in Ireland.<\/p>\n
Endometriosis is where tissue similar to the lining of the womb grows in other places, such as the ovaries and fallopian tubes. Each month, this tissue reacts to your cycle by thickening and bleeding, but because it has no way to leave the body, it causes inflammation, scar tissue, and intense pain. It is a leading cause of infertility and severe period pain.<\/p>\n
Often, women have to have specialist surgery or receive intense pain management as there is currently no cure for the condition.<\/p>\n
Despite how common it is, many people living with the illness face delays in diagnosis and limited access to specialised support. The yellow lighting in Wexford aims to raise awareness, encourage open conversation, and show solidarity with those living with the condition.<\/p>\n
The event also coincides with the launch of a new local initiative, the Endo Wexford Support Group, founded by Orla Quirke \u2013 someone who understands just how debilitating the chronic condition can be.<\/p>\n
Orla was diagnosed with severe endometriosis in March 2020 after experiencing years of symptoms. Since then she has undergone multiple surgeries and has become a strong advocate for better awareness and improved supports for women living with the condition.<\/p>\n
Determined to ensure others would not feel alone in their experience, she established the Endo Wexford Support Group to provide a safe and supportive space for those affected.<\/p>\n
\u201cLiving with endometriosis can be incredibly isolating,\u201d Orla said. \u201cWhen you are going through severe pain or facing surgery, having people around you who understand what you are dealing with can make all the difference.\u201d<\/p>\n
Orla also emphasised that endometriosis impacts more than just the person diagnosed.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is not only the women themselves who are affected,\u201d she explained. \u201cDuring flare ups or difficult periods, many rely heavily on the support of their families and loved ones. This group is about supporting the whole community around the condition.\u201d<\/p>\n
As part of her advocacy work, Orla recently took part in an endometriosis forum where she discussed the importance of improved GP training and better supports for patients with Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, Minister for Health.<\/p>\n
The public is invited to attend the lighting ceremony at 6.30pm, when the Wexford County Council buildings will be lit in yellow in recognition of Endometriosis Awareness Month. Following the event, tea and coffee will be served in the Tolbet Webb Suite, offering an opportunity for people to meet members of the new support group and learn more about the initiative.<\/p>\n
For Orla and many others, the event represents more than awareness.<\/p>\n
“It marks the beginning of a stronger local network of support for people living with endometriosis in Wexford,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n
Anyone interested in joining the Endo Wexford Support Group or learning more about upcoming meetings is encouraged to reach out through the group\u2019s social media channel Endo Wexford.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"On Friday, March 20 the Wexford County Council buildings will be illuminated in yellow to mark Endometriosis Awareness…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":352734,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[103,61,60,15968],"class_list":["post-352733","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-health","tag-health","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-rachel-cahill"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/352733","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=352733"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/352733\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/352734"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=352733"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=352733"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=352733"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}