This Petition is important so the Australian Department of Health can improve Medical Treatment in Australia for people living with Endometriosis, By educating our health professionals for a quicker diagnosis, improving the wait times for gynaecologists, and also by making laparoscopies and hysterectomies standard options for patients to consider whilst undergoing treatment for Endometriosis. Medications used for the treatment of endometriosis also need to be covered by the PBS.

Currently most of our health professionals do not know how to treat endometriosis properly, and cannot do much to treat this extremely painful disease, nor do most of these professionals realise how debilitating it can actually be. This is UNACCEPTABLE.

The Australian Health Department needs to have a better system in place for treating patients with endometriosis which includes:

- Having doctors, surgeons, pain specialists and other health professionals, educated and trained on endometriosis, and put appropriate treatment plans in place.

- Shorter wait times on seeing gynaecologists for patients suffering from endometriosis.

- Giving General Practitioners (GP's) the ability to refer a patient for a laparoscopy if they believe their patient may have endometriosis.

- Giving the patient options on treatment, and allowing them to make decisions on having surgery if they choose to.

- Having medications for patients with endometriosis available on the PBS (Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme)

Endometriosis is a painful and chronic medical condition. Over time, and without treatment, Endometriosis only gets worse, and can lead to endometriosis of the bladder, bowel, lungs, heart, Etc. Many women suffer not only physically, but mentally and emotionally, some peoples partners leave them because it gets too much, and endometriosis puts a massive strain of the relationship. A lot of women become suicidal due to the pain, but also because they cannot access proper medical treatment!

This disease can make it difficult for people to work, or study, and some people are unable to do either.

"Endometriosis is the abnormal growth of cells (endometrial cells) similar to those that form the inside of the uterus, but in a location outside of the uterus. Endometriosis is most commonly found on other organs of the pelvis." - definition retrieved from http://www.medicinenet.com/endometriosis/article.htm

Currently the contraceptive pill Diane-35 is not on the PBS, which makes it harder for some people with endometriosis to afford, especially when they have to purchase other medications on top, to help manage endometriosis.

The contraceptive pill Zoely is another pill used for treating patients with endometriosis, and is not on the PBS. It costs about $87 for 3 months supply.

I have heard others mention that there are other medications that are used to treat endometriosis, so if anyone could advise me on them I will add them to this petition.

Also the person who has endometriosis is not the only one that is affected, Family members, Partners, Children, Friends, are also affected, due to the amount of issues endometriosis can cause. E.g inability to do everyday tasks, other people sometimes have to help out.