Along with PMS and an unwavering attraction for Ryan Reynolds, period cramps are often considered a non-negotiable side-effect of being a woman. But as Grammy Award-winning singer Halsey knows, this isn’t always the case.
Speaking at the Endometriosis Foundation of America’s annual Blossom Ball earlier this week, she opened up about her experience with the crippling condition.
“A lot of people are taught to believe that the pain is normal,” she said.
“If you think something is wrong, it probably is.”
“You need to go and demand that someone takes you seriously. Your health is all you have,” she continued. “Especially as a young woman who has reproductive pain, you need to take care of yourself.”
For the 23-year-old, this meant alerting the people around her to the fact she was struggling with her health.
“I’m surrounded by men all the time,” she told US Weekly at the event. “There were times when I was bleeding through my clothes or I was sick and it got to the point where I had to look at everyone around me and be like, ‘You know what? That is something that is a reality for me and you need to suck it up and deal.’”
“I’m not going to let you make me ashamed of this,” she added. “We’re going to get through this.”
According to Mayo Clinic, common symptoms of endometriosis include heavy bleeding during that time of the month and intense pelvic pain. It occurs when the tissue that should line the uterus and grows outside of it instead. This causes irritation inside the body and the debilitating symptoms Halsey touched on.
It’s estimated that one in ten women of reproductive age are affected by endometriosis, which translates to around 176 million people worldwide.
Halsey first shared her diagnosis back in 2016, tweeting: “[If] any of you suffer from endometriosis, please know you’re not alone.”
“I know how [excruciatingly] painful it can be and how discouraging the disease can be.”
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