Endometriosis

Why the best gift you can give your teenage daughter is private medical cover

Endometriosis is a common inflammatory disease associated with severe and chronic life-impacting pain during normal activities, sometimes leading to depression, anxiety and infertility. It is estimated to affect around 10% of reproductiveage females in New Zealand and occurs when tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows outside the uterus.

The variable and broad symptoms of endometriosis make it difficult to diagnose. Many sufferers have limited awareness of the condition as it can often be attributed to normal period pain. This can cause lengthy delays between the onset of symptoms and proper diagnosis. Access to early diagnosis and effective treatment of endometriosis is extremely important.

While the public health system is able to deal with acute medical conditions such as heart attacks, strokes and car accident trauma it struggles to cope with elective procedures, and endometriosis and other gynaecological procedures are classified as elective, not acute. These conditions can have a major effect on quality of life but because they are not considered life threatening they are not given the priority they deserve.

Private medical cover provides the opportunity, when needed, for prompt diagnosis and treatment of endometriosis. Laparoscopic (keyhole) surgery, performed in hospital under general anaesthetic, is the only definitive way to diagnose and treat endometriosis.

It is for this reason that I believe the best gift a parent can give their teenage daughter(s), while they are young and healthy, is

Theo Simeonidis | UProtectNZ Insurance Services

good quality private medical cover. This will ensure they have immediate access to specialist gynaecologists, expensive diagnostic tools and subsequent treatment. I am personally well aware of the debilitating effect endometriosis can have and anything we can do to promote early diagnosis and effective treatment is effort well spent.

It’s what we do.

Theo and Cristina Simeonidis are Financial Advisers, living and working in Millwater on the Hibiscus Coast, and specialising in personal and business insurances. Theo can be contacted on 027 248 9320, Cristina on 021 868 280 or email theo@uprotectnz.com. Any assistance is provided on a free, no-obligation basis. A public disclosure statement is available on the www.uprotectnz.com web site.

Note:ThisarticlehasbeeninspiredbytheworkofDeborahBushMNZM,QSM,whohashadaglobalinfluenceonthepromotionandpreventionof endometriosisworldwide.