At the Eighth Annual Blossom Ball earlier this week, the Endometriosis Foundation of America honored Lena Dunham for her work in bringing awareness to endometriosis. The actress, writer and producer has been very outspoken about her experience with the illness, which occurs when uterine tissues that typically grow inside the uterus grow outside the uterus, continuing to thicken, break down and bleed during the menstrual cycle with no means of exiting the body. This often leads to inflammation, scarring, the formation of cysts and potential issues with fertility.
Dunham has been open about how the condition has affected her work and personal life: She was forced to cancel a press tour for the fifth season of Girls in February, and in March, she had surgery for a ruptured ovarian cyst.
While Lena spoke about the struggles she endures as a result of endometriosis, she also acknowledged her privileged lifestyle, which allows her to deal with the illness in ways other people may not be able to. “I can help create my own schedule. I have the financial resources to seek medical care outside of my insurance network, and I even have insurance in the first place. I can take the time I need to recover without worrying about rushing back to a minimum wage job or feeding my children.”
Dunham went on to bring attention to misogyny in the field of medical research, which, she argues, is the reason for the lack of information and resources available to treat those with endometriosis. “Endo affects about 10 percent of women, and last year the [National Institutes of Health] only spent less than $10 million on research. They have sunk far more money into diseases that affect far fewer people, and I think we all know that’s because of the stigma that surrounds reproductive health in this country.”
“So let’s let our dollars speak,” she said, urging the event’s attendees to donate to the foundation. “Give to a cause that may or may not seem sexy or central to some, but hey, what is sexier or more essential than vibrant, healthy women?”
It is important to note that endometriosis can affect all people with uteri, not exclusively women-identified persons. Nonetheless, we applaud Dunham for bringing awareness to a serious condition that affects so many people’s lives and yet receives such little attention.