28/10/2025
Last week, Cate and I took annual leave from work and travelled over 1,500km across the country, delivering ten education sessions to teens and parents. We visited schools full of history and others gleaming with modern design, yet in every single one, there were students who stayed back to talk. Students with endometriosis, or presumed endometriosis.
What moved us most was the warmth of teachers and the courage of the students, those who shared their own stories, supported friends, or took information home to start conversations. Many asked hard questions and trusted us to give honest, evidence-based answers. That trust means a great deal.
We were struck by the resilience of these young people. Many live with pain, have been dismissed, or are navigating school, family, and healthcare systems that too often fail to understand them.
For us, this work is both inspiring and frustrating. Inspiring because of the teens, teachers, and potential for change. Frustrating because we continue to see young people ignored within the health service. Symptoms tracked for years before belief or access to proper care. Limited options. No clear pathways.
The MISE programme, based on the New Zealand me® model, is proactive and evidence-based. It helps young people understand menstrual health, recognise symptoms, seek help early, and reduce stigma. The NZ experience shows the impact of early education and coordinated care — earlier recognition, better outcomes, less suffering.
To achieve this in Ireland, we need:
Clear, accessible care pathways.
Better awareness among healthcare professionals, teachers, and parents.
More specialist centres with multidisciplinary teams.
Adequate resources and theatre time.
A pathway for teens in paediatric care who are denied gynaecology referrals.
MISE requires time, travel, and emotional labour, but every session reinforces how necessary this work is. The questions, the gaps, the courage we see prove that school-based education is not a luxury. It is essential.
We must listen to young people, believe them, and give them the evidence-based information and care they deserve.
