Endometriosis is a chronic, inflammatory condition characterised by the presence of tissues similar (but not identical) to the endometrium outside the uterus.

Although categorised as a gynaecological disease, endometriosis is not just about menstrual pain and infertility. Endometriosis is a disease of the whole body.

It can be located on almost any organ in the body. Symptoms are diverse and not limited to menstrual pain: chronic pelvic pain, pain during urination, alternating diarrhoea/constipation, bloating, nausea, chronic fatigue, pain during urination, pain during sexual intercourse. Because of its various manifestations, it is difficult to diagnose and is often confused with other diseases.

Women can wait 7 to 10 years for a diagnosis.

Women's pain is often normalised, trivialised or ignored.

There is no cure for endometriosis. Only the correctly performed operation decreases the risk of recurrence and restores (in most cases) quality of life and fertility.

We recommend to the Romanian Government to budget adequately for the diagnosis and treatment of endometriosis, so that all women suffering from this condition have a chance to be cured and have a better chance of becoming mothers, if they wish to do so.

Women's pain is not normal!

Sources of information:
📍Nancysnookendo.com
📍Bucharest Endometriosis Center                  
📍Facebook/NancysNookEndoEd

❗Abortion without anaesthesia is a form of violence.

Women's pain is too often ignored in the healthcare system. High costs for terminations are a form of discrimination.

Women's lack of access to safe and affordable abortion services is a human rights violation.

The lack of access to abortion in many counties in most public hospitals and the lack of referral of patients to other public services is a public health problem.

A woman's right to decide whether or not to have children is guaranteed under Law 46/2003, Art. 28 (1). Persons over 16 years of age can give their consent in the absence of their parents for medical situations related to the diagnosis and/or treatment of sexual and reproductive problems, according to Law 95/2006, art. 650. The law entitles health professionals to consult, diagnose and treat young people over 16 without parental consent in situations such as termination of pregnancy, contraception, prevention or treatment of a sexually transmitted infection.

Forcing girls and women to give birth through lack of access to affordable services will not increase birth rates in a healthy way, but it will increase the number of underage mothers, school drop-out rates, maternal mortality, infant mortality, maternal dropout rates, physical and mental health complications for girls, women and children.

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Attention! Videos with content that may affect you emotionally.

Survivors of sexual assault must be treated with respect, compassion and receive comprehensive and safe services in one place to avoid re-traumatization.

This requires the adoption of guidelines, protocols, procedures and specific funding in county hospitals and rape crisis centres.

Medical professionals need initial and ongoing training in communicating with survivors and in treating and managing sexual and gender-based violence in all clinics and hospitals.

Emergency contraception, treatment for the prevention of sexually transmitted infections and forensic examination must take place in the same facility, be free of charge and available on time.

Women's rights are law: Istanbul Convention Article 25 - Support for victims of sexual violence Parties shall take the necessary legislative or other measures to provide for the establishment of appropriate, easily accessible rape and sexual violence crisis referral centres in sufficient numbers to provide medical and forensic examination, post-traumatic assistance and counselling for victims.

❗If you are in danger, call 112 ( national emergency number)

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________________

Cast:
Witness: Mădălina Brândușe
Script: Irina Slate and Irina Ilisei

❗️Caesarean section should only be performed when women choose it or when it is medically necessary.

🟢 Women have the right to give birth with dignity, to feel safe and to choose a support person, who is not part of the medical staff, to accompany them at birth.

🟢 Women need options, they need to be able to choose midwife-based services, paid for by the Romanian state.

🟢 Midwives are trained to assist with physiological birth and to recognise early complications in the mother, foetus and newborn.

🟢 Childbirth should depend on women's preferences and medical needs.

🟢 Licensed midwives can ensure a positive birth experience and relieve specialists from physiological cases.

ℹ️ Caesarean section is associated with higher complication and mortality rates than vaginal birth, and multiparity has more risks in repeated caesarean sections than in repeated vaginal births.

ℹ️ Romania needs public policies to encourage assisted natural childbirth and to protect women's rights at birth, for better health for mothers and children and to increase the birth rate.

📌 The Independent Midwives Association offers free weekly antenatal classes for expectant parents.
For details and registration, click here.

📌 We also provide training courses for medical staff through the Mother Care Network. For details click here.

❗There is a need for maternity nurses, postnatal care professionals, as well as the new mother's family and friends, to care for a mother's physical and mental health and emotional well-being according to her needs.

ℹ️ Baby blues is a manifestation caused by changes in the mother's body associated with childbirth. It usually appears in the first few days after childbirth in many mothers. Unlike depression, the baby blues - sadness, anxiety, tiredness, crying - do not affect the mother's functioning or ability to care for herself and her baby. The baby blues pass on by itself.

❗Depression is one of the most common birth complications and the most common perinatal mental health disorder.
ℹ️ The main symptoms - persistent sadness, loss of interest or pleasure, tiredness, low energy, feelings of guilt, sleep or eating problems, difficulty concentrating, thoughts of suicide or death - can affect the quality of life of the whole family. In this case, the mother needs specialized help and support from family and community.

🔴 79% of moms can develop baby blues
🔴 1 in 7 mothers suffer from postpartum depression
🔴 20% of mothers who die in the first year after giving birth die by suicide

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❗ The newborn baby and their mother need to stay together after birth, for the duration of their stay in the maternity ward, if their condition allows it.

ℹ️ Re-launching the Baby-friendly Hospital Initiative in all Romanian maternity hospitals can save lives and prevent breastfeeding complications and ensure the best start in life. https://www.who.int/teams/nutrition-and-food-safety/food-and-nutrition-actions-in-health-systems/ten-steps-to-successful-breastfeeding)

ℹ️ We encourage expectant mothers to select maternity facilities that provide rooming-in care for the baby and mother or facilitate mothers' access to children in intensive care for the birth, where possible.

ℹ️ Midwives can provide rooming-in care and are competent to attend births, monitor new mothers regardless of how they gave birth and monitor newborns. Maternity hospitals must employ licensed midwives in order to decrease maternal and infant mortality rates, complications and increase breastfeeding rates, to improve the outcomes and experience of birth and maternity stay, and to relieve obstetric and neonatology specialists from physiological cases.

📌 Resources for hospitals: here.

📌 AMI provides training for healthcare professionals through the “Caring for Mothers” Network. Details here.

📌 Read HERE the report on obstetric violence in state and private hospitals in Romania.

ℹ️ Obstetric violence refers to any physically or verbally abusive behavior, medical acts without consent and delay or refusal of care.

Practices that are not based on clinical standards and guidelines, medical procedures delivered in an aggressive, brutal, unnecessary or pain-intensifying medical procedures are not recommended. Patient consent is required before each medical procedure.

ℹ️ Natural and medicinal comforting measures should be present in every maternity ward. So should the option of having the support of a designated person or caregiver. Ladies and gentlemen hospital managers, hire licensed midwives to decrease maternal and infant complications and mortality, increase the number of natural births, increase breastfeeding rates, and improve women's birth experience!

Women have the right to give birth with dignity!

All of the words and treatments presented in this video as a collective voice of women have actually happened far too many times. One woman receiving this treatment in hospital is one woman too many!

Stop obstetric violence!

Women who have unpleasant or traumatic birth experiences will avoid giving birth again. To support the birth rate, authorities must take measures to improve women's experience of childbirth.

📌 If you want to report a case of obstetric violence or need support, call: 0722 265 269.
Helpline AMI
09:00 - 21:00
Monday - Sunday