Skip to main content Being diagnosed with endo or experiencing severe pelvic pain and heavy periods is difficult for anyone, but can be even harder when you are a school student. Puberty and the teenage years can be pretty overwhelming without adding a chronic illness to the mix. You may feel embarrassed talking about your periods to adults at school.
Sometimes the structure of the school day can make taking toilet breaks difficult, or you might feel you’re not believed when you say you can’t do PE because of a bad period. The thing is, if you do learn to communicate about your experiences with teachers, they can help to make your life at school easier.
Find allies
A good first step is to think about allies who can help you to communicate to your teachers and school.
For many people, parents or guardians are the best candidate but an older sibling at the same school might also be willing to step in.
These people can help you to manage questions from your peers and any criticism or even bullying that results from having endo. It’s also important to think about allies within your school community. A trusted teacher, school counsellor or school nurse might be the ally you need to negotiate life at school and to find ways to talk about pelvic pain and periods with your parents and other family members.
Help your teachers and school to help you
Some teachers may want to be supportive but may not know much about endo symptoms or how to help. The more accurate information you can provide, the better they can support you when you are in pain or experiencing a bad period. Perhaps set up a meeting at the start of the school year to explain the challenges you are experiencing and how this might affect your schoolwork and other activities like sport. If things change during the year, you may want to organise another meeting.
Before the meeting, think about what the school needs to support you and create an information pack. Some things to include are:
- Information about endo, such as this fact sheet
- How you are impacted by your symptoms
- Who to call if you need to be picked up during the day
- A list of your medications (if taken during the day) and how often you need to take them
You could investigate what learning support is available in your state for students with complex health needs and if you are eligible for this support. If you know ahead of time that an assignment deadline or exam will coincide with a period or a likely flare-up, talk to your teachers in advance to organise an extension or additional support. You could download or bookmark extension application forms in advance or even pre-fill them so it’s easier when you need them. Although advanced warning is not always possible due to the unpredictability of endo symptoms, good communication will help build trust with your teachers.
Where else can I go for support?
If you feel you need additional support, then you can reach out to the Australian Endometriosis Associations. Many of these associations have online or in-person support groups which can help you feel less alone and to learn from others’ experiences.
If you feel you need help to cope with your symptoms beyond what your parents or teachers can provide, you could join QENDO’s Mentor Program or call their Support Line. QENDO also has a LGBTQIA+ support community on Facebook, QENDO & Co., where you can connect with others.
Next steps
You may find that other students at your school also live with endo symptoms. Perhaps you could work with staff to organise a support group at school.
One way to get your whole school community to understand more about period pain, pelvic pain, and endometriosis is to organise a PPEP Talk® at your school. This program began in South Australia and is going nationwide in 2022. It is free to all schools, and although it is directed at students, it includes information that can help teachers to understand what is going on with young people with endo and pelvic pain.