{"id":85155,"date":"2025-04-14T18:03:24","date_gmt":"2025-04-14T18:03:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dod.hawaii.gov\/retireenews\/?p=85155"},"modified":"2025-04-14T18:03:28","modified_gmt":"2025-04-14T18:03:28","slug":"vapihcs-endometriosis-awareness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dod.hawaii.gov\/retireenews\/2025\/04\/14\/vapihcs-endometriosis-awareness\/","title":{"rendered":"VAPIHCS: Endometriosis Awareness"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"276\" src=\"https:\/\/dod.hawaii.gov\/retireenews\/files\/2024\/08\/VAPIHCS-Veterans-1024x276.png\" alt=\"VAPIHCS Veterans Logo\" class=\"wp-image-80169\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dod.hawaii.gov\/retireenews\/files\/2024\/08\/VAPIHCS-Veterans-1024x276.png 1024w, https:\/\/dod.hawaii.gov\/retireenews\/files\/2024\/08\/VAPIHCS-Veterans-300x81.png 300w, https:\/\/dod.hawaii.gov\/retireenews\/files\/2024\/08\/VAPIHCS-Veterans-768x207.png 768w, https:\/\/dod.hawaii.gov\/retireenews\/files\/2024\/08\/VAPIHCS-Veterans.png 1272w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The VA Women\u2019s Health program wants to raise awareness about endometriosis this month. <a href=\"https:\/\/urldefense.com\/v3\/__https:\/www.womenshealth.gov\/a-z-topics\/endometriosis__;!!LIYSdFfckKA!17ciMkkJUs38bouXTSUmhh1aoeI2Mk0IyVkQ4z2TZ5betfH06TSL1hD4CAHvrta-YLZ8SWBFQ3VdGGmbM-IEAmPe_6JFn7pd$\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Endometriosis<\/a>\u00a0is a condition where tissue that is like the inner lining of the uterus grows outside the uterus. These cells respond to changes in your body\u2019s hormones and cause inflammation, pain, and sometimes irregular bleeding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Here are five things you should know about endometriosis:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">1. Severe Pain Isn\u2019t Normal<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We all expect some discomfort during our period, but severe pain isn\u2019t something you should have to push through. Pelvic or abdominal pain during your period, sex, or bowel movements shouldn\u2019t disrupt your life. If over-the-counter medications don\u2019t help and the pain makes it hard to function for several days each month, it\u2019s time to get help. Additional common symptoms include: heavy bleeding or bleeding between periods, difficulty getting pregnant, or digestive issues like bloating, constipation, or diarrhea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">2. Early Diagnosis Matters<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Left untreated, pain and symptoms can worsen. The sooner you get diagnosed, the sooner you can start managing symptoms and avoiding complications. Don\u2019t wait\u2014talk to your VA health care provider if you\u2019re experiencing symptoms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">3. Endometriosis Is Common<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">About 1 in 10 women of reproductive age have endometriosis. Despite how common it is, it often takes years to diagnose due to lack of symptom awareness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">4. Endometriosis Can Affect Fertility<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you\u2019re having difficulty getting pregnant, endometriosis might be the cause. Between 30-50% of women with endometriosis face infertility challenges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">5. VA Can Help You Manage Your Pain<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Endometriosis is often a chronic condition, but you don\u2019t have to manage it alone. VA offers diagnosis and a range of treatments to help you find relief, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Pain Medication: Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (<a href=\"https:\/\/urldefense.com\/v3\/__https:\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/books\/NBK547742\/__;!!LIYSdFfckKA!17ciMkkJUs38bouXTSUmhh1aoeI2Mk0IyVkQ4z2TZ5betfH06TSL1hD4CAHvrta-YLZ8SWBFQ3VdGGmbM-IEAmPe_wkpIINL$\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">NSAIDs<\/a>), ibuprofen or naproxen for example, are available over the counter and often help treat menstrual and endometriosis pain. However, if these do not give you enough relief, talk to your provider about other options.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Hormone Therapy: VA can provide you with medications that suppress the production of hormones in the ovaries, preventing ovulation, menstruation, and endometriosis pain flares.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Surgery: VA can diagnose and treat endometriosis through a variety of surgical procedures. Your gynecologic surgeon will work with you to determine the best treatment approach for you.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Remember,\u00a0severe\u00a0pain during your period is not normal.VA understands how overwhelming chronic pain can feel, and we\u2019re here to help. Compassionate VA women\u2019s health primary care providers are available and will listen to your concerns.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To learn more about endometriosis, download the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/urldefense.com\/v3\/__https:\/www.womenshealth.va.gov\/WOMENSHEALTH\/docs\/Endometriosis-English-Brochure-FINAL-digital.pdf__;!!LIYSdFfckKA!17ciMkkJUs38bouXTSUmhh1aoeI2Mk0IyVkQ4z2TZ5betfH06TSL1hD4CAHvrta-YLZ8SWBFQ3VdGGmbM-IEAmPe_4rzrXah$\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Women Veterans Endometriosis brochure<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Need help getting started? Call the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/urldefense.com\/v3\/__https:\/www.womenshealth.va.gov\/wvcc.asp__;!!LIYSdFfckKA!17ciMkkJUs38bouXTSUmhh1aoeI2Mk0IyVkQ4z2TZ5betfH06TSL1hD4CAHvrta-YLZ8SWBFQ3VdGGmbM-IEAmPe_5DF2A3v$\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Women Veterans Call Center<\/a>&nbsp;(1-855-VA-WOMEN) to speak to a real person who can help you enroll, schedule an appointment, and connect you to care you can trust.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-paragraph\"><em>The State of Hawaii, Department of Defense (HIDOD)\u2019 Retiree News does not endorse any of the external hyperlinks listed or posted on this site. This includes linked websites, information, products, or services contained therein. We are a government run website for which transparency and accountability are paramount. HIDOD cannot have the appearance of endorsement and are bound by the HIDOD Social Media Policy concerning political posts being respectful, honest, and accurate. Operational Security will additionally be adhered to. Retiree News does not exercise any editorial control over the information you may find at linked sites. Some of the sites linked to may limit the number of stories you can access without a paid subscription. All links were provided with the intent of meeting the mission of the HIDOD\u2019s version of Retiree News.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The VA Women\u2019s Health program wants to raise awareness about endometriosis this month. Endometriosis\u00a0is a condition where tissue that is like the inner lining of the uterus grows outside the uterus. These cells respond to changes in your body\u2019s hormones and cause inflammation, pain, and sometimes irregular bleeding. Here are five things you should know [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":189,"featured_media":80169,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"11692,15187,23778,56420,28465,21619","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[12409],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-85155","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-vapihcs-veterans"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dod.hawaii.gov\/retireenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/85155","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dod.hawaii.gov\/retireenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dod.hawaii.gov\/retireenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dod.hawaii.gov\/retireenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/189"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dod.hawaii.gov\/retireenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=85155"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/dod.hawaii.gov\/retireenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/85155\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":85156,"href":"https:\/\/dod.hawaii.gov\/retireenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/85155\/revisions\/85156"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dod.hawaii.gov\/retireenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/80169"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dod.hawaii.gov\/retireenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=85155"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dod.hawaii.gov\/retireenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=85155"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dod.hawaii.gov\/retireenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=85155"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}