President Emmanuel Macron announced on Tuesday January 11 the launch of a national strategy to fight endometriosis, a little-known disease, leading cause of infertility in women in France. It manifests itself by heavy periods and severe pain. “We can only be delighted with the implementation of this strategy”, reacted Yasmine Candau, president of the Endofrance association, Wednesday January 12 on franceinfo. According to her, the fact that the subject is “taken into account” to “highest state level” is “a first victory”. Yasmine Candau called for “go further” on the training of health professionals, some of whom are still too little aware of this disease from which one in 10 women in France suffers.
>> Endometriosis: what we know about this disease which affects one in ten women
franceinfo: Is this announcement from the president already a first victory for you?
Yasmine Candau: We can only welcome the implementation of this strategy. Our association has been working for this for 20 years and to see that finally, at the highest level of the State, the subject is taken into account. It’s already a first victory. We are now waiting for the concrete announcements and the action plans that will be proposed. We hope that this will happen quickly and, of course, we will be present alongside the ministerial teams to work on the subject.
One of the concrete announcements is the generalization in each region of reference center on endometriosis. Can it be a game-changer?
Yes, this will make the treatment process visible and easier for all people with endometriosis. This will facilitate their orientation and especially ensure that they are supported by doctors who know the disease and that is extremely important.
“A lot of women look to us and say, ‘My doctor tells me I’m too young to have endometriosis’ or ‘I’ve already had a child so it can’t be that’ Unfortunately, it is. “
Yasmine Candau, president of the Endofrance associationto franceinfo
Do you think it is necessary to strengthen the teaching of physicians to endometriosis?
In September 2020, there is a decree which was published and which integrated endometriosis into second cycle medical courses, it is a first step. We must go even further so that all doctors, upon leaving their studies, know how to recognize the symptoms of endometriosis, know how to diagnose it and offer appropriate treatment.
Emmanuel Macron spoke of an ‘endometriosis reflex’, that means that it is important to explain what this disease is, what women who suffer from it experience?
Endometriosis has a very strong impact on the quality of life of people who suffer from it and it is important to raise awareness in all circles, schools and professionals. We must bring in the skills of occupational physicians, draw their attention to the subject, because it is really the daily life of each person affected that is affected.
There is no cure today?
There is currently no definitive cure for endometriosis. The treatments only aim to minimize the development of the disease, to relieve the symptoms that women suffer from, but there is no definitive cure. Research is an important thing to try to understand this pathology.