Scots child abuse payouts could cost £200m, MSPs told

Endometriosis UKCopyright: Endometriosis UK

Ms Campbell says "there is clearly more that we need to do" and there is a need for a third specialist centre.

The public health minister says the government has recommended that a centre is created in the West of Scotland. 

She says NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde have said that a business case for a specialist centre in Glasgow will be ready for the beginning of April.

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Public Health Minister Aileen Campbell says the Edinburgh centre also works with Endometriosis UK and she expects all centres to work together.

Ms Campbell says women must be empowered to deal with endometriosis earlier.

She says: "We need to continue with the work that has been carried out by the chief medical officer and the specialist centres."

Public Health Minister Aileen Campbell says specialist centres help ensure high quality care and this is necessary and urgent for endometriosis.

Ms Cambell says sufferers need "no less than specialist care" and there are two specialist centres in Scotland in Aberdeen and Edinburgh. 

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Public Health Minister Aileen Campbell says it has been 16 years since endometriosis was debated in the Scottish Parliament.

Ms Campbell praises Endometriosis UK and says the government has a positive relationship with the charity. 

The minister says "young women need to be encouraged to seek help at an early stage" as it can lead to infertility.

She highlights the campaign by Endometriosis UK : 'It's Ok to Talk. Period'

Tory MSP Alexander Burnett says when he signed the motion it was more about the knowledge of how it can affect someone rather than an in depth knowledge of what it is.

Mr Burnett says the first Scottish endometriosis centre was set up in Aberdeen.

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The Tory MSP says a constituent of his who suffers from the disease highlights the awareness problem.

He says women suffering from endometriosis suffer for an average of seven and a half years before diagnosis. 

"I admit I had to Google it," he says. 

He says society can help by being aware of the disease. 

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US singer Halsey has had surgery to treat her endometriosis.

The 22-year-old says she's going to be "off the map for a few days" while she recovers but has thanked fans for all their support so far.

Endometriosis is a condition where cells like those in the womb appear elsewhere in a woman's body.

The cells act in the same way as during a period, building up and breaking down but they have no way of getting out of the body.

It causes painful periods and heavy bleeding, fatigue, bowel and bladder problems and can cause depression and infertility.

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Lena Dunham revealed on Facebook  in 2016 that she is taking time off from promoting the final season of Girls, because she's been diagnosed with endometriosis.

The 29-year-old has lived with the illness since she was a teenager, and has  written about it before .

Read more about endometriosis here. 

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Labour MSP Monica Lennon says she is pleased the key theme of Endometriosis Week is to encourage women to talk about their periods.

The "shameful lack of awareness around endometriosis" can be challenged by encouraging women to talk openly.

She says menstruation is a natural bodily function, yet there is a "cult of silence around periods" making it more difficult for women with endometriosis to be diagnosed and treated.

The Labour MSP says: "Endometriosis is a serious gynaecological condition that can seriously impact on a woman's life."

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SNP MSP Stewart Stevenson says he believes endometriosis is a subject which is under discussed and his generation is traditionally less likely to discuss the female reproduction system.

Mr Stevenson says despite all the women living with the disease it is "unbelievable" the amount of people who do not know what it is.

He confesses that he did not know what it is until this debate was scheduled. 

The SNP MSP says friends and family of sufferers also feel the affects of this condition.

"Our goal should be to find a day where no woman has to fight against her own body," he says.

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What is endometriosis?

It's a disease where cells like those in the womb appear elsewhere in a woman's body.

The cells act in the same way as during your period, building up and breaking down. But they have no way of getting out of the body.

It causes really painful periods and heavy bleeding, fatigue, bowel and bladder problems. It can lead to depression, and even make women infertile.

My body really was like a prison of pain.Alice Smith

How common is it?

You probably know at least one person with it.

Endometriosis affects approximately 176 million women of reproductive age (15-49) worldwide.

Around 1.5 million women in the UK are currently living with the condition.

What does it feel like?

"The pain from endometriosis is excruciating. It's like someone's clawing at your insides and pulling them out," says Alice Smith, a 20-year-old student from Leicester who was diagnosed with endometriosis when she was 14.

"Every time I had a period I was rushed into hospital."

Read more here .

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Women with endometriosis are more likely to lose the baby and need extra care , fertility doctors said in 2015.

It is caused by the lining of the uterus being found elsewhere in the body including the ovaries or vagina.

A study, on nearly 15,000 people in Scotland, found the condition increased the risk of miscarriage by 76%.

The team at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary said that women needed to be informed of the risk.

Endometriosis can be hard to identify and is thought to affect between 2% and 10% of women.

Symptoms include painful periods and stomach pain.

The research team analysed data from 5,375 women with endometriosis and 8,280 healthy women.

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Tory MSP Alison Harris says approximately 150,000 women suffer from endometriosis in Scotland.

However it is described as a "hidden disease" despite having the prevalence of diabetes, she says.

Ms Harris says too often endometriosis is discussed "behind closed doors".

She details devastating stories of women suffering from endometriosis.

Mr Gibson says he believes this government will do the right thing and end the health inequalities that those suffering endometriosis have to endure. 

The SNP MSP concludes by quoting one of his constituents who suffers from endometriosis saying "endometriosis must be history, over to you minister."

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Mr Gibson says many women living with endometriosis do not even know they have it and the average diagnosis time is seven and a half years, according to Endometriosis UK.

The SNP MSP says there are currently only two accredited endometriosis units in Scotland and that is not good enough,with many women not getting the specialist care.

"It is up to the Scottish government to address this health inequality."

He says he is pleased the government said it would review how endometriosis services were delivered and in 2015 the recommendations included a call for a third endometriosis unit for the West of Scotland.

However he says the progress on this is nearly glacial. 

Endometriosis UKCopyright: Endometriosis UK

Endometriosis UK :

"Endometriosis devastates the lives of women and their families. We help them take back control.

"One in ten women endure unrelenting pain that affects every aspect of their lives each day. That’s over 1.5 million women who desperately need support and information to help them understand this chronic condition.

"We're here to provide vital support services, reliable information and a community for those affected by endometriosis.

"We're a very small organisation, striving for big results."