A resolution recognizing the significance of endometriosis as an unmet chronic disease for women and designating March 2023 as "Endometriosis Awareness Month".

III 118TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION S. RES. 90 Recognizing the significance of endometriosis as an unmet chronic disease for women and designating March 2023 as ‘‘Endometriosis Awareness Month’’. IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES MARCH 1, 2023 Ms. DUCKWORTH (for herself, Mrs. CAPITO, Ms. CANTWELL, Ms. KLO- BUCHAR, Mr. BOOKER, Mr. BLUMENTHAL, and Ms. HIRONO) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Ju- diciary RESOLUTION Recognizing the significance of endometriosis as an unmet chronic disease for women and designating March 2023 as ‘‘Endometriosis Awareness Month’’. Whereas more than 6,500,000 women in the United States are living with endometriosis; Whereas endometriosis is a chronic disease that can be pain- ful and debilitating and affects— (1) approximately 190,000,000 women throughout the world; (2) an estimated 1 in 10 women of reproductive age in the United States; and (3) primarily women in their 30s and 40s, but can affect any woman who menstruates; VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:00 Mar 02, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR90.IS SR90 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 2 •SRES 90 IS Whereas the cause of endometriosis is not known, but risk factors include— (1) having a mother, sister, or daughter with endo- metriosis; (2) menstrual cycles that started at an early age; (3) menstrual cycles that are short; and (4) periods that are heavy and last more than 7 days; Whereas endometriosis occurs when tissue similar to that of the lining of the uterus begins to grow outside the uterus; Whereas, for many women, the only way currently available to be certain of an endometriosis diagnosis is to have a surgical procedure known as a laparoscopy; Whereas the primary symptoms of endometriosis include pain and infertility, and many women with endometriosis live with debilitating, chronic pain; Whereas symptoms of anxiety and depression are common among women with endometriosis, with reported rates as high as 75 to 90 percent; Whereas, although endometriosis is one of the most common gynecological disorders in the United States, there is a lack of awareness and prioritization of endometriosis as an important health issue for women; Whereas women can suffer from endometriosis for up to 10 years before being properly diagnosed; Whereas approximately 75 percent of women with endo- metriosis experience a misdiagnosis; Whereas the management of symptoms of endometriosis may include low-dose oral contraceptives, intrauterine devices (IUDs), painkillers, including nonsteroidal anti-inflam- VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:00 Mar 02, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR90.IS SR90 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 3 •SRES 90 IS matory drugs (NSAIDs), and gonadotropin-releasing hor- mone (GnRH) agonist therapy; Whereas in vitro fertilization (IVF) is often recognized as the best option for patients experiencing endometriosis-asso- ciated infertility and for whom initial surgery was unsuc- cessful; Whereas endometriosis is associated with increased health care costs and poses a substantial burden to patients in the health care system; Whereas, in the United States, the estimated average direct health care cost associated with endometriosis per patient is more than $13,000 per year; Whereas 40 percent of women with endometriosis report im- paired career growth due to endometriosis, and approxi- mately 50 percent of women with endometriosis experi- ence a decreased ability to work; Whereas the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that the average number of ‘‘bed days’’ for pa- tients with endometriosis was 18 days per year; Whereas women with endometriosis can lose 11 hours per workweek through lost productivity; Whereas the physical and psychological impact of endo- metriosis affects all domains of life, including social life, relationships, and work; Whereas medical societies and patient groups have expressed the need for greater public attention and updated re- sources targeted to public education about this unmet health need for women; Whereas there is a need for more research and updated guidelines to treat endometriosis; VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:00 Mar 02, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR90.IS SR90 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 4 •SRES 90 IS Whereas there is an ongoing need for additional clinical re- search and treatment options to manage this debilitating disease; and Whereas there is no known cure for endometriosis: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Senate— 1 (1) designates March 2023 as ‘‘Endometriosis 2 Awareness Month’’; 3 (2) recognizes the importance of endometriosis 4 as a health issue for women that requires far greater 5 attention, public awareness, and education about the 6 disease; 7 (3) encourages the Secretary of Health and 8 Human Services, the Secretary of Defense, and the 9 Secretary of Veterans Affairs— 10 (A) to provide information to women, pa- 11 tients, and health care providers with respect to 12 endometriosis, including available screening 13 tools and treatment options, with a goal of im- 14 proving the quality of life and health outcomes 15 of women affected by endometriosis; 16 (B) to conduct additional research on 17 endometriosis and possible clinical options; and 18 (C) to update information, tools, and stud- 19 ies currently available with respect to helping 20 women live with endometriosis; and 21 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:00 Mar 02, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\SR90.IS SR90 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 5 •SRES 90 IS (4) respectfully requests that the Secretary of 1 the Senate transmit an enrolled copy of this resolu- 2 tion to the Secretary of Health and Human Services. 3 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:00 Mar 02, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\SR90.IS SR90 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB