📢 The Story of Endo Through a Mother's Eyes

"We teach our kids to hide under desks during emergencies. Why don’t we teach them to talk about their pain?"

For too long, women and girls have been conditioned to endure. To believe that their pain is "just part of being a woman." At the recent Endometriosis Foundation of America’s Patient Day in New York City—aptly titled Your Mother Should Know, Your Doctor Should Know Better!—we heard stories that shattered the dangerous narrative that debilitating period pain is “just part of being a woman.”

The reality? Mothers are fighting for their daughters—because too often, no one else will.

One mother recalled her daughter doubled over in a clothing store, unable to move from the pain. Another mother spent seven years seeking answers for her child while doctors dismissed her concerns​.

💡 Key Takeaway: If your daughter is in pain, trust your instincts. As one mom put it, "The doctor knows the book. You know your kid."

🧬 A Scientist’s Fight for a Cure: Her Story

"I have a daughter who inherited this from me. I inherited it from my mother and grandmother. And I refuse to let this cycle continue."

Piraye Beim, a researcher, biotech innovator, and Founder and CEO of Celmatix, has dedicated 25 years to understanding endometriosis—because no doctor could give her the answers she needed. Her research has revealed that endometriosis is not just a reproductive disease but a full-body inflammatory condition affecting immune function, pain sensitivity, and even pregnancy risks​.

🔥 The Research We Need:

• Endometriosis is not just about hormones. Suppressing periods is not a cure.

• Autoimmune and inflammatory responses play a huge role. Why are we not developing immune-based treatments?

• Pharmaceutical companies won’t develop drugs for endo. Many refuse because of “pregnancy risks,” yet women with cancer or autoimmune diseases are trusted to make choices about their own care​.

Piraye’s mission? To push science forward and demand treatments that go beyond "just take the pill." Her daughter, and millions of other women, deserve better.

🕰️ Endometriosis: How Far We’ve Come—and How Far We Still Have to Go

The good news? Endometriosis awareness is no longer in the shadows.

• We have documentaries like Below the Belt and Silent Suffering reaching broader audiences.

• Social media is amplifying patient voices—shattering the stigma of discussing periods and pelvic pain.

• Advocacy groups are fighting for policy changes, better medical coding, and research funding.

• Companies are racing to develop better diagnostics and treatments—from biomarkers to non-invasive detection​.

The frustrating part?

• Diagnosis still takes an average of 7-10 years.

• Surgery is still the primary treatment, and access to specialists is limited.

• Endometriosis research is drastically underfunded compared to conditions affecting similar numbers of people.

• Even at the recent JP Morgan Healthcare Conference, where so many companies shared their efforts to develop diagnostics and better treatments for endometriosis, there was still a sense that we’re fighting to catch up to other diseases in terms of funding, innovation, and urgency.

💡 Key Takeaway: The conversation is happening. The momentum is here. But we can’t stop pushing for real change.

📢 What Needs to Change

🔹 Doctors need better training—pediatricians, gynecologists, ER staff, everyone.
🔹 Medical coding needs an overhaul—"superficial" endo classification minimizes its seriousness​.
🔹 We need investment in real treatments—not just birth control and hormone suppression.
🔹 Talking about pain should be normal. If we teach kids about safety drills, why not their own bodies?

💡 How You Can Help

✅ Educate: Share this newsletter with a mom, a daughter, or someone who needs to hear it.
✅ Advocate: Ask your doctor about endometriosis. Demand better care.
✅ Get Involved: Support endometriosis research—the next breakthrough might come from the voices speaking up today.

🗣️ Have a story about endo in your family? Hit reply—we want to hear it.

💛 Let's keep fighting, together.