For many women living with endometriosis and chronic pelvic pain, simply having their experiences heard and taken seriously can mark an important turning point in their care.
At Bendigo Community Health Services’ (BCHS) Endometriosis and Pelvic Pain Clinic, Sexual Health Nurse Mary-Anne McCluskey says women frequently arrive after years of pain, delayed diagnosis and feeling that their symptoms have been dismissed or minimised.
Since opening in 2024, the federally funded clinic has provided multidisciplinary care for people experiencing endometriosis and pelvic pain, bringing together GPs, nurses, physiotherapists and psychology support. The service aims to provide holistic, evidence-based treatment while helping patients better understand their condition and actively participate in decisions about their care.
About 520 people have accessed the clinic since it began, Mary-Anne says, with demand extending well beyond the Bendigo region.
For Mary-Anne, an ANMF (Vic Branch) member, one of the most significant aspects of the clinic is providing women with the time and space to tell their story.
“We find that a lot of the people who come in are just so relieved to have someone listen to their story, acknowledge that what they are going through and have been experiencing is real and that no, it’s not normal, and it’s good to have options to try and help manage their symptoms and improve their quality of life, basically.”
Nurses play a central role from the beginning of a patient’s journey.
The first clinic appointment allows an hour and a half with a nurse, with patients completing a pre-assessment covering areas including sleep, bowel and bladder symptoms and pain during sex. Nurses then explore the person’s history, where and how long they have experienced pain, previous investigations and treatments, and what has or hasn’t helped.
“We spend a lot of time explaining what endometriosis is and why it affects the body the way that it does. And then we talk about possible options that may help manage those symptoms.”
Patients can also see a women’s health physiotherapist, while the clinic has provided pain psychology sessions exploring chronic pain pathways and strategies that may help reduce an oversensitised nervous system. Dietitian sessions have also explored gut health, diet and inflammation.
Central to the approach, Mary-Anne says, is ensuring women understand their options without feeling pressured into a particular treatment.
“What we find is that it’s really important to let people know that we’re not going to push them into doing one thing or another,” she says.
“We really try to make sure that they understand the logic behind why something might be helpful and then it’s up to them to decide whether they want to use that or not.”
The consequences of living with persistent pelvic pain can reach into almost every aspect of life.
“So many women cry in our room, which I know sounds terrible, but sometimes it’s just the trauma of having to talk about what they’ve experienced, and the impact endometriosis has on their lives,” Mary-Anne reveals.
“We’re talking about women that have lost their jobs or they’re getting threatened to leave their jobs, young girls that are missing out on school because they can’t go to school for the first two days of their period every month.”
For Women’s Health Week, Mary-Anne wants women and girls to challenge the longstanding belief that significant period pain is simply something they must endure.
“I think on a basic level, any period pain or pelvic pain that interferes with your life is not normal. So that sort of old theory that period pain is normal and you should just put up with it definitely is out the window.”
She encourages people experiencing persistent symptoms to seek appropriate care, including through the network of government-funded endometriosis and pelvic pain clinics.
“There is no cure for endometriosis; it’s about managing the best you can, and it can affect your whole body. So, it’s about looking at it from a holistic point of view.”
For Mary-Anne, supporting women through that process has made nursing in the clinic both challenging and fulfilling.
“It’s a very rewarding role. It’s challenging because you’re dealing with people that have been experiencing a lot of chronic pain and often for a long time, but it is very rewarding and it feels nice that there’s so much more research going into endometriosis now.
“And I think there’s going to be some good things that are going to come out of the funding and research that’s going on.”
Jean Hailes Women’s Health Week 2026 runs from 7 to 11 September. This year’s theme, do it anyway, is about taking small steps towards your health.
