'Adenomyosis may be invisible, its impact is not'

At least one in ten women live with adenomyosis, a womb condition that can cause heavy, painful, and irregular periods. Adenomyosis occurs when the lining of the uterus grows into the muscle of the womb. Many people report intense pain, including sensations described as a mass in the uterus or severe internal pain. Adenomyosis shares symptoms with endometriosis, but the conditions differ: endometriosis involves cells growing outside the womb, while adenomyosis involves growth inside the womb. Women describe frustration and constant or sudden stabbing pain affecting the uterus, lower back, hips, and pelvis. A health department spokesperson said it is deeply concerning that many women feel dismissed when they come forward with pain.

"At least one in 10 women live with adenomyosis, a womb condition which can cause heavy, painful and irregular periods with one sufferer saying her pain got so bad it she felt like she had a "chainsaw" inside her. Mathilde Barker, a content creator from Surrey who has both adenomyosis and endometriosis, said: "When I was at my worst, it genuinely felt like I had a mass in my uterus, and that it was dragging behind me." Adenomyosis is a condition where the lining of the uterus begins to grow into the muscle of the womb."

"A spokesperson from the Department for Health and Social Care told the BBC: "It is deeply concerning that so many women feel dismissed when they come forward with pain." Adenomyosis shares a lot of symptoms with endometriosis, but the two conditions are different. With endometriosis, the cells grow outside the womb, and can appear in other parts of the body, whereas with adenomyosis they only grow inside the womb."

"Lauren Buckland, 36, said she gets regular random "stabbing" pains in her uterus, lower back, hip and pelvis. She said: "[Once] I was walking home from work, and I was in tears of pain and I didn't know what it was. "This is my body and it's not working how I'd like it to work, but I've got to work with it. "It's a bit frustrating, but it's just being a woman, isn't it?" she said."

Read at www.bbc.com