EndoMEtriosis: A Guide for Girls

Gr 7 Up–Though endometriosis affects millions of women worldwide, it is frequently undiagnosed or misdiagnosed. Many patients consider the disorder to be a silent epidemic. Seckin, an endometriosis specialist and surgeon in private practice in New York, aims to educate and inform young women whose symptoms may have been dismissed. The book is divided into four major sections: what endometriosis is, who to go to for help, possible treatments, and how to aid friends and loved ones. The author uses honest, straightforward language and explains the reasons why endometriosis can be taboo to discuss and therefore diagnose. Each short chapter is accompanied by a first-person narrative written by one of Seckin’s real-life patients. These stirring accounts, though often painful, lend insight into the harrowing experiences these women went through in order to get medical help. While the book discusses symptoms and possible treatments, Seckin is careful to emphasize that each person’s body and experience of endometriosis is different. The book’s last section provides advice for how people close to endometriosis survivors can support them, and describes the experiences of parents, significant others, and teachers.