More than 40 GPs from across the Murray Primary Health Network gathered last week to hear the BCHS Endometriosis and Pelvic Pain Clinic team present on understanding endometriosis, available services and referral pathways into the clinic.
The education evening came as the clinic marked its one-year anniversary during Endometriosis Awareness Month, and heard from doctor Karishma Kaur, nurse Mary-Anne McCluskey and psychologist Mary Sandilands with a portion of the presentation dedicated to hearing from those with lived experience of endometriosis.
“We really wanted the evening to be as informative as possible and the feedback we’ve had so far is that it was, which is fantastic to hear,” Dr Kaur said.
“We covered a wide range of topics, from what endometriosis is, to what patients can expect when visiting the clinic, to best practices for GPs when it comes to women’s pain to myths we deal with on a daily basis at the clinic.”
Validation is key
Mary-Anne said one of the things heard often in the clinic is that women don’t feel heard when it comes to period pain, which is why a patient’s initial appointment is a long one.
“A patient’s first appointment is 90 minutes long and that 90 minutes is so important,” Mary-Anne said. “It’s important that we listen and that we validate their story, their pain.
“We take that time to explain what endometriosis is, to explain what the treatment options are and how we can help them.”
Dr Kaur said for too long period pain has been dismissed as “just a period”.
“It’s never ‘just’ a period,” she said. “Everyone’s experience of periods and pelvic pain is different but very real to that individual and they need to know they don’t have to live with it.”
Patients can be referred by their GP, or if you’re worried you can call the clinic to book in, Dr Kaur said.
Debunking myths
Despite the rise in awareness of endometriosis, a good portion of time during appointments is spent clarifying facts around the chronic condition, Mary-Anne said.
“We spend a lot of time debunking myths,” she said. “Myths around infertility and also what endometriosis actually is, especially for parents. Sometimes it’s about getting the parents of a patient to understand what endo is and why we’re proposing a specific treatment for their young person.”
Having that understanding of what is and isn’t true about endometriosis is key to developing a treatment plan that works for the patient, Dr Kaur said.
“Patient-centric care is at the heart of how we operate as a clinic,” she said. “It’s their pain. It’s their body and they have to take control, and we can help them do that.”
“I felt heard. I felt seen. I had options.”
Rhiannan’s journey began when she was just 10, the evening heard.
After years of pain and dismissal she realised while at university that it was likely she had endometriosis. Told surgery was the only option, she underwent a laparoscopy, was diagnosed with stage 4 endometriosis and told to have kids as soon as possible. She was 23.
Rhiannan waited for the right time for her and now has two healthy children. It was only after her second was born that she decided she needed to face her pain again.
“Surgery wasn’t an option for me the second time around,” she told the crowd. “I heard on the grapevine that something was coming to Bendigo and so I waited.”
What came next had Rhiannan so excited she took matters into her own hands.
“When they announced the Endometriosis and Pelvic Pain Clinic I was so determined to get an appointment that I wrote my own referral and sent it to my GP who then sent it to the clinic,” she said.
Her experience at the clinic was unlike any other.
“The staff at the clinic were so amazing. They took so much time with me – to listen, to understand, to explain,” Rhiannan said.
“I came in looking for a fix and Dr Kaur was very honest with me and she said, ‘There is no fix.’ That was okay though. I felt heard. I felt seen. I had options.
“I wasn’t just a number. I wasn’t just another surgery on the list.
“Even though I was scared, I had a Mirena put in and, for me, it’s changed everything.”
Seeing and speaking to as many medical professionals at the education evening as she did was heartening, Rhiannan said.
“I’m so pleased at this turn out. It’s so amazing to see so many wanting to know and understand more about endometriosis and the clinic.”
March 13, 2025
