Women’s Insights Shared and Empowered (WISE): Amplifying the Voices of Asian Women with Endometriosis
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Year 2024Type Reach Awards
- Principal investigator Amanda Fuchsia Howard
- Co-lead(s) Jessica Sutherland, University of British Columbia
- Host institution University of British Columbia
- Research location University of British Columbia - Vancouver Campus
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Team members
- Jessica Sutherland, University of British Columbia
- Paul Yong, University of British Columbia
- Natasha Orr, University of British Columbia
- Anna Leonova, University of British Columbia
- Kerry Marshall, University of British Columbia
- Hannah Rojas, University of British Columbia
- Heather Noga, Women's Health Research Institute
- Nisha Marshall, University of British Columbia;
Endometriosis affects approximately 2 million people in Canada. Despite the high prevalence of this condition, a lack of awareness, normalization of painful and debilitating symptoms, and ongoing medical discrimination remain. Racialized communities, including Asian populations, face additional barriers to diagnosis and care. Asian individuals, compared to their White counterparts are more likely to have their endometriosis-related pain dismissed by healthcare providers and have a higher burden of disease before referral. We aim to share findings from our EndoPhoto research, utilizing images, text, and narratives from East, South, and Southeast Asian individuals to depict their experiences with endometriosis before, during, and beyond the Covid-19 pandemic. Our research highlights mental health challenges, the complex symptom burden, healthcare access barriers, and coping strategies employed for self-care and seeking support. We plan to (1) develop an interactive website to showcase the EndoPhoto study findings, and (2) share the website via a social media campaign. Sharing this research will address a significant gap in knowledge around endometriosis experiences generally, and for Asian individuals specifically.