Australian conservationist and TV personality Bindi Irwin has spoken up about her journey through "insurmountable pain" for a decade due to endometriosis.
According to World Health Organization, endometriosis is a condition in which tissue similar to the uterine lining grows outside the uterus, producing pain and/or infertility. It is a chronic illness that causes intense, life-altering pain during periods, sexual intercourse, bowel movements, and/or urination, as well as persistent pelvic pain, abdominal bloating, nausea, fatigue, and, in some cases, depression, anxiety, and infertility.
In her Instagram post, she added that she has been struggling for 10 years with insurmountable fatigue, pain, and nausea.
"Trying to remain a positive person and hide the pain has been a very long road. These last 10 years have included many tests, doctors' visits, and scans.
"A doctor told me it was simply something you deal with as a woman, and I gave up entirely, trying to function through the pain," she said in a statement, coinciding with International Women’s Day and Endometriosis Awareness Month.
Bindi, 24, further added that she successfully completed her endometriosis surgery, and doctors found 37 lesions that were very deep and difficult to remove, as well as a chocolate cyst.
"I’m aware of millions of women struggling with a similar story. There’s a stigma around this awful disease.
"I’m sharing my story for anyone who reads this and is quietly dealing with pain and no answers. Let this be your validation that your pain is real and you deserve help," she added.
Irwin is a well-known conservationist who has appeared in the reality television series "Crikey! It's the Irwins," which follows her family's activities at the Australia Zoo in Queensland, which her mother runs.