Lena Dunham is no stranger to opening up to the public eye. This time, she opened up about her body and her health–and I love her for it. On Monday, she announced on Facebook that she won’t be doing press for the new season of her hit show “Girls” for health reasons–and her honesty is refreshing.
She posted the announcement along with a photo of her hands holding her quilt, explaining that she suffers from endometriosis, a debilitating condition often overlooked in the media:
READ: I’m Tired of People Telling Me I Don’t ‘Look Sick’ Because I Am
“Hey Beloved Pals,
I just wanted to let you know that, while I am so excited for Girls to return on Feb 21, I won’t be out and about doing press for the new season. As many of you know I have endometriosis, a chronic condition that affects approximately 1 in 10 women’s reproductive health. I am currently going through a rough patch with the illness and my body (along with my amazing doctors) let me know, in no uncertain terms, that it’s time to rest. That’s a hard thing to do, but I’m trying, because all I want is to make season 6 of Girls the best one yet. I’m lucky enough to have support and backup from Jenni, Judd and the whole Girls gang. So many women with this disease literally don’t have the option of time off and I won’t take it for granted.
Wishing you all health & happiness, in whatever form suits you.
Back soon
xxLena”
READ: Why Lena Dunham’s Lingerie Selfie is Important
Her candidness is important, because many people downplay women’s reproductive health issues and are totally ignorant of how painful and serious conditions like endometriosis are. If you don’t know, endometriosis is a condition where tissue found within the uterus grows outside of it. It can affect fertility and cause severe pain, which can leave many women unable to work for extended periods of time. It also affects five million women in the U.S., which means that you probably know someone with the condition who is silently suffering. We often assume that if someone doesn’t “look sick,” then they must not be sick. Or that their pain isn’t so bad. This isn’t true.
While it may seem like just another post on Facebook, Lena’s post illustrates that speaking out about things like this is not “TMI,” but necessary for women get the proper medical attention and understanding they need and deserve.
