a collective movement is mobilizing to talk about endometriosis

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” It is a disease that we rarely talk aboutand thatwe know littlewhile it affects one in ten women. Around us, we all have a sister, a friend, a colleague or a loved one who can be touched,” insists Caroline Ensergueix. Deputy and founder of the association l’Appart, which carries out committed actions with adolescents and young people from Blonville, this Norman woman initiated a real collective movement around endometriosisa disease that affects women, and which the general public sometimes knows very little about.

In partnership with healthcare professionals of the commune, the medical center of Villers-sur-Mer, the Soroptimist et the Appart associationthe municipality launches the “Let’s unite against endometriosis” mobilization. A disease defined by the presence, outside the uterus, of fragments of uterine lining. Severe pain during periods or sexual intercourse leading to total incapacity, potential fertility problems: “this is an invisible illness which touches on intimacy, femininity, sexuality, the couple. We need to talk about it and make it better known,” considers Caroline.

A real collective movement

Five years ago, in 2019, the Blonvillaise association l’Appart and EndoFrance collaborated to produce an awareness clip on endometriosis, aimed at young people. A video where the teenagers leaned on the difficulties and questions linked to this disease. “That’s where I met Yasmine, the president of EndoFrance,” says Caroline Ensergueix.

Since these first links were formed, La Blonvillaise has always wanted to mobilize around endometriosis. The idea germinated and grew, and a real “collective movement” has blossomed to make things happen. An initiative that has affected women from all backgrounds. Léna Daniel20 years old, the driving force of the Appart association, did not hesitate to join this movement which speaks to him a lot:

We all have loved ones who are affected, it spoke to me of getting involved, as I generally like to do in fights that affect society or health. We need to talk about it, inform it and support it.

The initiative also affected Charlotte Caillepresident of Soroptimist club of Deauville-Trouville dependent on an NGO which works throughout the world to improve the condition of women, girls and children. “This subject is right at the heart of our areas of action, including women’s health is part of it,” insists the president, recalling that endometriosis was the subject of a national Soroptimist campaign in 2017. “It’s a disease that can affect women of different ages, and we have everything immediately said yes to this collective initiative because we still talk about it too little and for many, it’s a bit of a nebula ».

November 16, a start

To launch this mobilization, several actions will be carried out this Saturday November 16, 2024in Blonville-sur-Mer. Near the pharmacy, a bench painted yellow will be inaugurated at 3:30 p.m. “It is a national initiative, there will be an information leaflet of EndoFrance with a QR code to raise awareness and inform everyone about this disease, it will make a permanent point,” explains Caroline Ensergueix.

Then, at 4 p.m., at the Blonville cinema, will be screened the documentary Endometriosis: the fight continues by Laëtitia Millot. A film where the actress “wishes to lift the veil on this pain, from which she herself suffers, and which seems to be taboo” by sharing her daily life over a year, from her fight to become pregnant until her childbirth, and by revealing the testimonies of other women.

This screening will be followed by a debate with Yasmine Candaupresident of the EndoFrance association which for more than 20 years has supported and informed people with endometriosis and those around them, leads awareness-raising actions and acts with public authorities and health professionals to improve the care pathway and reduce the diagnostic time.

“The goal is for this mobilization to last”

“On November 16, we launched the mobilization, but the goal is to go further », insists Caroline Ensergueix. This collective is already working to set up other actions aimed at reaching the general public, particularly young people and men, but also professionals. “The goal is for this mobilization to last, for November 16 to be followed by actions.”

If certain ideas have already hatched, such as that oforganize a new event in March on the occasion of World Endometriosis Day, to put on sale at that time bracelets with the visual made by Léna for raise funds for researchor to continue to distribute the book Clara’s endometriosisthe objective is also to working with healthcare professionals.

On the Côte Fleurie, we already have pharmacies who are willing to set up a small space to provide information and support about the disease, other health professionals who wish to join the movement, to train in a more specific approach to help women who are affected. The goal is to make things happen with those who want to join the movement, to help, to allow better support for these women in their pain and their care, to raise awareness, all this in a multidisciplinary way.

These actions will also affect the youthnotably through Lena and the Appart association. “The goal is to find actions to go to schools, colleges, high schools and universities, to try to reach young people, but not in a redundant way, with more lively things like a board game for example “. So many great ideas, to talk about endometriosisand try to move the lines.

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