#painstories is a Libresse/Bodyform campaign, closing the gender pain gap one story at a time, and supporting early diagnosis for endometriosis.
Pain is subjective and complex, so measuring it on a scale of 1 to 10 doesn’t fully express it. That’s why we created The Pain Dictionary, a new language for endometriosis pain. We asked endometriosis sufferers to tell us how it really feels. Their descriptions have given us a new pain language – a tool to both express and recognise serious pain, which could lead to quicker diagnosis.
Because, even though endometriosis affects 1 in 10 women, it takes on average 7.5 years to diagnose. It’s time to stop dismissing bad period pain as “normal”, and give it the expression it deserves. This project was particularly close to our hearts because Augustine has endometriosis and lives with this pain. We hope this will help people with endometriosis to communicate how it really feels, and allow them to feel better understood. And that people in pain might recognise their own pain in the depictions, and feel empowered to seek help, which could accelerate diagnosis.Let our #painstories be heard.
Read the full Pain Dictionary on @bodyformuk ’s Instastory highlights. The book is also an e-book, and a physical book. which will be used in GP surgeries, doctor’s waiting rooms, given to school nurses, and shared with influencers.
As part of the campaign, we also commissioned The Pain Report, a deep dive into the gender pain gap, exploring how we talk about pain, and why we often don’t. The report examines the taboos and stigmas that fuel silence and shame around women’s pain, through in-depth interviews with experts and patients around the world.
We also worked with Ketchum to create The Pain Museum, which places The Pain Dictionary within the broader context of the gender pain gap, and the cultural and systemic problems that fuel the need for this campaign.
