In recognition of Women’s History Month and Endometriosis Awareness Month, we are highlighting well-known women who have the condition.

One in ten women suffers from endometriosis. The condition occurs when tissue, similar to the lining of the uterus, grows outside the uterus in a woman’s abdominal cavity. It causes heavy bleeding, abdominal pain, and can cause infertility. Several prominent women have spoken out about their experiences.

Actress/YouTube Star Tia Mowry-Hardrict, 43, thought she was alone in her suffering because she didn’t know anyone else who had endometriosis. Like many women, she was told that her pain was just severe cramps. After consulting with her doctor, she learned she had endometriosis and that many African American women are misdiagnosed because less research has been done on Black women . After several surgeries, Mowry-Hardrict’s doctor told her she needed to change her diet and focus on health and wellness. A year later, she found out she was pregnant. Her son, Chree, was born in 2011, and she gave birth to her daughter, Cairo, at age 39. She has continued to speak about her experiences and promote a healthy diet.

Actress/Activist Susan Sarandon, 75, was diagnosed at age 36, after years of struggling with fainting and heavy bleeding. Sarandon says she thought her pain was a natural part of being a woman, and that she would need to learn to live with it. Her doctor prescribed birth control pills as well as pain pills. She was also told she would never have children, but went on to become a mother of three. She says in a video made by the Endometriosis Foundation of America, “Early detection and treatment are the best prevention.” She also says, “It’s not okay to miss a part of your life because of pain and excessive bleeding.” She encourages women to listen to their bodies.

Top Chef Television Host Padma Lakshmi, 51, was diagnosed when she was 36. Lakshmi says she felt angry because it took so long for her to be diagnosed and that she had been losing “a week of [her] life every month of every year…” Lakshmi struggled for over 20 years before being officially diagnosed. In 2009, she co-founded the Endometriosis Foundation of America with the doctor who diagnosed her, saying, “I didn’t want the next generation of women to go through what I went through, to feel betrayed by their own bodies or to feel alone.”

If you or someone you know suffers from endometriosis, you are not alone! We hope that these stories will encourage you to reach out here on Inspire (start a discussion in our Endometriosis community) and talk to your doctor.