Recommended Reading
Be a better ally
Being an ally is about understanding from a different perspective. Talking to your patient will help you understand their personal symptoms.
Having a greater emotional understanding will help you empathize with patients. It may even help your diagnosis skills with a patient who is still fighting for a diagnosis.
It will aid your ability to understand your patients End Goal.
Endometriosis: The Experts Guide to treat, manage and live well with your symptoms. By Dr. Andrew Horne PHD FROCG
"One in ten women suffers with endometriosis. So why is there no definitive cure and why does it take an average of 8 years to diagnose? Endometriosis experts Professor Andrew Horne and Carol Pearson explain what Endometriosis is and provide vital information for women who suffer from the disease."
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Information on Professor Andrew Horne
In 1999, Andrew Horne obtained a competitive entry Clinical Training Fellowship from the Medical Research Council and used this opportunity to complete a PhD focused principally on the role of the endometrium (womb lining) in reproduction at the Institute of Reproductive and Developmental Biology at Imperial College London. Back in Edinburgh, he completed his core clinical training in Obstetrics and Gynaecology between 2002 and 2005. During this time he combined his research interest with the development of laparoscopic (key hole surgery) skills as a Clinical Fellow in Gynaecological Endoscopy with the University of Toronto in 2005 until his appointment as a Clinical Lecturer in Edinburgh later that year.
In 2010, he was appointed as a Senior Clinical Lecturer and Consultant Gynaecologist in Edinburgh. He subsequently developed both clinical and research interests in pelvic pain and endometriosis and established EXPPECT Edinburgh. He was awarded a Personal Chair at the University of Edinburgh in 2014.
He is the current Chair of the Academic Board at the RCOG, Past Chair of the ESHRE Special Interest Group for Endometriosis and Endometrial Disorders, UK ESHRE National Representative, and Medical Advisor for Endometriosis UK and the Pelvic Pain Support Network. He is a member of the NICE and ESHRE Endometriosis Guideline Committees, and Co-Editor in Chief of Reproduction and Fertility. Professor Horne became an Associate Fellow of the Faculty of Pain Medicine of the Royal College of Anaesthetists in 2019.
Living with endometriosis by Clair Dempsey PHD
A photovoice study conducted by Clair Dempsey at the Centre for Intelligent Healthcare, Coventry University.
A Free to use resource.
Extracts are used throughout the website
click to view
Clair Dempsey's PhD study
The objective of my PhD project is to develop and evaluate a mindfulness-based intervention for those living with chronic pelvic pain due to adenomyosis and endometriosis.
The first part of this project is a systematic review that evaluates the effectiveness of non-surgical, non-pharmacological interventions designed to improve the quality of life of those living with adenomyosis and endometriosis.
The second part of this project is a photovoice study, which aims to assess the psychological needs and coping strategies of women living with adenomyosis and/or endometriosis.
The third part will involve stakeholders in a co-creation workshop aiming to address the facilitators and barriers in the use of an online health psychology's intervention for those living with adenomyosis and endometriosis.
Finally, a health psychology intervention will be developed and evaluated.
Research Interests
women's health, endometriosis, adenomyosis, photovoice, co-creation, intervention development, patient involvement
Other literature
We encourage all members of the Endo Community to read the following. These books can often help to start conversations with loved ones about a person's symptoms
The Doctor will see you now: Recognising and treating endometriosis. By Tamer Seckin
"This book gives hope to everyone connected to endometriosis. That includes every woman and young girl who has it, and the women and men in their lives - the mothers, fathers, husbands, children, and friends - who know something is wrong, but do not know what it is or what to do about it. This book is written at a level that everyone with ties to this disease can relate to and understand, but it is also for doctors with good intentions who lack the knowledge of how to diagnose or treat it."
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Ask me about my uterus: A quest to make Doctors believe in women's pain. By Abby Norman
In Ask Me About My Uterus, Norman describes what it was like to have her pain dismissed, to be told it was all in her head, only to be taken seriously when she was accompanied by a boyfriend who confirmed that her sexual performance was, indeed, compromised.
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Endo Bonds have produced a digital booklet for people who are Newly diagnosed. It aims to provide a guide to all things you experience as a person with endometriosis.
Free to view online.
Period. is everything you need to know about periods. PERIOD. Period. is a book for everyone; children and adults, mums and dads, womb-owners and ex-womb-owners. Overflowing with practical tips and advice, from what a period actually is to who does and who doesn't have them, this inclusive book is a myth-busting must-read. There is no beating around the bush in this funny and informative book written and illustrated by Natalie Byrne, a London-based illustrator who uses her colourful work to promote intersectional feminism and tackle social issues such as sexual assault and mental health.
Surgical Menopause
Surgical menopause is different. It can feel brutal. It involves removing a sizeable chunk of our endocrine system, and yet the majority of us are sent on our way after surgery with little more advice or information than: 'lift nothing heavier than a kettle of water for six week, and refrain from sex for the same duration'. Not Your Typical Menopause is a unique collection of narratives from women with lived experience of surgical menopause. Open, honest, and courageous. If a surgical menopause is looming for you, this book will help ensure you are better informed and better able to meet some of the unique challenges that will likely ensue. Because, when it comes to our health, forewarned is indeed forearmed, and knowledge is power.
