Endometriosis Awareness Week |

Coinciding with International Women's Day is Endometriosis Awareness Week, an annual campaign which takes place during the first week in March. #EndometriosisAwareness is the Twitter handle for the yellow ribbon campaign bringing awareness to this affliction.

Women suffering from this affliction suffer heavy menstrual cycles often accompanied by extreme pain. National Institute of Child Health and Human Development reports endometriosis affects some 176 million women worldwide — including award-winning author Hilary Mantel, who has spoken about how her endometriosis had been misdiagnosed, and instead she was treated for psychosis. Also, a long list of celebrities, including Marilyn Monroe and Queen Victoria have or been known to have endometriosis.

Hysterectomy, the removal of a woman's ovaries, is one treatment for endometriosis; however, some medical sources say hysterectomy may be over-utilized as a treatment for conditions that affect a women's fertility. A Toronto Star article, from 2014, notes that more than 40,000 hysterectomies were performed in 2012 to 2013.

The Mayo Clinic's micro-website on endometriosis offers reliable information on this affliction.

Featured below is a short list of titles from the library about this condition…