Dolly Parton has died aged 80, prompting tributes from around the world. The country music legend lived with an incurable condition that can cause debilitating pain: endometriosis.
What is endometriosis?
Endometriosis is where tissue similar to the womb lining grows outside the uterus, triggering severe, widespread pain. For many, it can also lead to infertility. Some undergo a hysterectomy to help manage symptoms, but it is not a cure.
According to Page Six, in the early 1980s, the Jolene singer suffered from severe abdominal pain and heavy bleeding. She was hospitalised several times and underwent multiple procedures. In 1982, she was forced to call off a tour as her health deteriorated, and she was later diagnosed with endometriosis.
Dolly Parton's hysterectomy
Page Six reported that in an interview with Closer Weekly, the songwriter underwent a partial hysterectomy in 1985, aged 36, in an attempt to ease her pain. The operation meant she could not have children, something she discussed candidly in the years that followed.
In tribute to the country icon, BBC presenter Emma Barnett shared her own story in a documentary, Emma Barnett: Fighting Endometriosis. She spoke about her lifelong battle with the condition and revealed she had a hysterectomy, like Dolly. In a post about the “9 to 5” singer after her death, she wrote: "Dolly - my endo and hysterectomy sister - thank you for bringing your dark into the light and still shining so very brightly. Go well - you Queen of a woman you."
Symptoms and impact
Endometriosis is an incurable condition in which tissue like the lining of the womb grows in other parts of the body. This tissue can react to hormonal changes during the menstrual cycle, potentially causing inflammation, pain and scarring. It most commonly develops on the lining of the pelvis and can affect the ovaries, and can also spread to nearby organs such as the bowel or bladder. In some cases, it occurs outside the pelvis too, including in the chest.
The condition affects about 1 in 10 women and people assigned female at birth from puberty through to menopause, although symptoms can persist over the long term. In the UK, that equates to more than 1.5 million people of all races and ethnicities living with endometriosis.
Common symptoms include difficulty getting pregnant, heavy menstrual bleeding, bloating, pelvic pain, fatigue, unexplained pain throughout the body, pain during or after sex, pain when urinating, painful periods that interfere with everyday life, and painful bowel movements.
