RTÉ 2FM presenter Tracy Clifford has told Miriam O'Callaghan on RTÉ Radio 1's Sunday with Miriam that she hopes her experience of endometriosis will encourage other women to find out if they have the condition.
Endometriosis is defined by the HSE as "a condition where tissue similar to the lining of the womb starts to grow in other places. For example, the ovaries, the lining of the tummy and fallopian tubes."
Clifford learned that she had "silent endometriosis" after years of fertility difficulties.
"After all these years of trying, that was the missing piece," she told the host.
"And it's not silent, though. Like, we're calling it silent endometriosis - it means you're not in screaming pain every month. It's very loud, it's affecting your fertility.
"Through my research I discovered that 47% of people who have unsuccessful fertility journeys, it's endometriosis. People think you have to be in pain, and you really don't. It's completely nuanced, really. There's so many different areas and levels of endometriosis that we just don't know about."
Clifford first told her story last year in an interview with the RTÉ Guide and then shared her experience on Instagram.
"The amount of people that contacted me afterwards was unbelievable - men as well," she recalled.
"I know a lot of people who have contacted me and told me that they have endometriosis but they did go on to have successful pregnancies. I love hearing stories like that."
"For me, it might happen, it might not happen, but for people out there who have, like, not success [sic] at the moment with fertility, I would actually just really ask people to ask their doctors or ask their GPs about endometriosis," she said.
"It doesn't mean that your fertility journey is over, not at all."
The broadcaster also encouraged people to join the Endometriosis Association of Ireland.
"If I could help somebody today talking about fertility or endometriosis and how painful it is and how we need more information in our healthcare system and how we need to talk about it more... And maybe, you know, if somebody's going through a journey and they're not being successful, maybe endometriosis - that could be one of the issues," she added.
If you have been affected by issues raised in this story, please visit: www.rte.ie/helplines.
Sunday with Miriam, RTÉ Radio 1, 10:00am
