Christiana Hansen, a 49-year-old from Chatham, has launched a campaign for improved endometriosis support after her own experience navigating the condition. Hansen was diagnosed in 2023, approximately five years after initially experiencing symptoms. She manages her pain with daily medication taken at the highest prescribed dose, two to four times daily, and describes the condition as causing severe stabbing pain that significantly impacts her emotional wellbeing.
Through her health awareness organization HEDUCA, Hansen is advocating for a dedicated wellbeing hub in Medway to address women’s and girls’ reproductive health conditions. The proposed facility would include a safe space for sharing experiences and fitness amenities. Hansen has also called for increased funding toward endometriosis diagnosis and treatment, noting that she initially felt dismissed by healthcare providers who characterized her symptoms as normal or simply “a woman issue.”
Jessica Lewis, 25, from Broadstairs, shares similar concerns about diagnostic delays. Lewis was diagnosed with endometriosis two years ago following surgery in 2024, though she began experiencing symptoms at age 14. According to her NHS records, she visited her doctor 22 times before receiving a diagnosis. Lewis emphasized that the condition affects her daily activities and future planning, and she has also called for improved medical professional training and increased funding within the NHS.
The campaign has garnered support from local MP Tristan Osborne, who stated that dedicated wellbeing hubs for women’s and girls’ health issues are both sensible and appropriate. He indicated plans to work with Medway and Tonbridge and Malling councils to expand such provisions. The NHS Kent and Medway acknowledged difficulties some women face in obtaining timely diagnoses, while a Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson called current waiting times “unacceptable” and outlined plans to expand gynaecology capacity and surgical hubs through a renewed Women’s Health Strategy and NHS Online services.
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