Deputy premier’s tears over health battle

Victoria’s Deputy Premier, Jacinta Allan, has teared up during a press conference while discussing her long battle with endometriosis.

Ms Allan spoke at the Royal Women’s Hospital in Melboune on Wednesday while announcing a $65m election promise to double the number of surgeries for endometriosis.

A further $5m was pledged to create a Women’s Health Research Institute and $3m will establish an inquiry into women’s pain management to examine systemic issues.

Ms Allan said her battle with the illness, which is hallmarked by heavy, painful periods, was a “really challenging” time.

“I’m going to talk about my own lived experience (with endometriosis),” she began.

“Like so many other Victorian women, I too have a lived experience with what it’s like to suffer from endometriosis. It’s a common disease that’s not commonly talked about, therefore it’s not commonly treated.

“I do find it a little bit hard to talk about; it was a period of my life, I’m getting all …” Ms Allan said, before pausing to compose herself.

“I also had my babies here, so it’s all coming back,” she continued.

“It was a time in my life that was personally really challenging and I didn’t share my experience with others because there wasn’t that authorised environment.

“Certainly the Premier of the day wasn’t talking about it in the way we are today. Looking back now, the disease was with me for years – the heavy periods, the bad pain that at times needed medication to be treated.”

Ms Allan said the symptoms continued in secret until she reached out to a female friend for support.

“And it wasn’t until I confided in a very dear friend, because I was feeling quite emotional about it at the time – that she told me her very similar journey – that I began to understand that impact on a woman’s fertility,” she said.

“So I went through my own journey through the medical system. I did receive terrific care, but I did have to go through the laparoscopy procedure as part of the diagnosis and the treatment.”

Ms Allan, who has been the MP for Bendigo East since 1999, said parliament wasn’t initially a supportive place when she was undergoing treatment.

“I was working (at the time),” she said.

“I think I was a Minister at the time in the previous government and I just didn’t feel comfortable talking to my work colleagues about why I needed to take time away from work.”

Premier Daniel Andrews said the mammoth package is about “hearing and believing women”.

He said women have often been dismissed and been told “that’s just part of being a woman” when coming forward with pain and symptoms.

“That’s not good enough and that needs to end,” he said.

It comes a day after the Premier announced women could have a host of their health issues treated in one place under an ambitious election promise by the state government.

Mr Andrews made the announcement on Tuesday morning, saying the decision was an attempt to spotlight and help treat certain health conditions.

The $71m plan would centre on 20 comprehensive women’s health clinics across Victoria.

These would cost the state $58m and become a one-stop shop for women needing treatment or advice on issues from contraception to pelvic pain.