NEW YORK– The Endometriosis Foundation of America (EndoFound) announced today that it had received a $100,000 donation from Procter and Gamble (P&G) brand Tampax® to expand EndoFound’s education programs. These programs include the ENPOWR™ (Endometriosis: Promoting Outreach and Wide Recognition) Project, a school and community-based endometriosis education program.
“Thank you to Tampax/Always for this incredible support of EndoFound’s educational program, ENPOWR™. Thank you also to Amy Schumer for reaching out to Tampax® and introducing them to the EndoFound programs. No longer should talk about a woman’s period be taboo. Young women, and girls, in particular, need to know that painful periods are not normal and that there is help. Everyone deserves the opportunity to thrive, and those living with endometriosis are no exception. We need to make talking about periods as regular as periods themselves. Then, and only then, can we eliminate societal stigma and build a culture that empowers women,” said EndoFound Founder Tamer Seckin, MD.
“At Tampax, our goal is to help reduce the stigma around periods by driving education and creating open dialogue,” said Cheri McMaster, Global Tampax Communications. “We’re so moved by all the great work EndoFound is doing, and we’re thrilled to be able to provide this monetary support to help continue its mission. We share a passion for not only providing people who have periods with support but also educating them so they know more about their bodies and can advocate for themselves.”
“I suffered from endometriosis for too long, not knowing until I was much older that periods were not supposed to cause excruciating pain. It took a long time to diagnose, and I was always ignored about my symptoms and told, ‘it’s just how it is for girls’.” The key to early diagnosis is educating doctors and the public, especially young girls, about endometriosis. It’s not normal to miss school, soccer games, or work because you’re in pain from your period! Thank you, Tampax and EndoFound, for normalizing the conversation around periods and being the champion!” said actress Amy Schumer, a long-time endometriosis patient. She has an ongoing partnership with Tampax — P&G’s leading tampon brand — aiming to normalize conversations about menstruation.
The ENPOWR program, seeded with money by New York state in 2014, has educated over 30,000 students in the greater New York City region and provided EndoFound the opportunity to test logistics and prove the program’s value. Shortly after the pilot launch in 2016, EndoFound created the EduKit in response to national and worldwide requests for the program.
EndoFound was founded in 2009 by Dr. Tamer Seckin, MD, and Emmy-nominated television host and producer and New York Times best-selling author Padma Lakshmi. It is the largest non-profit endometriosis organization in the United States and is supported by donations from outside organizations and individuals to cover its programs. EndoFound strives to increase disease recognition, provide advocacy, facilitate expert surgical training, and fund landmark endometriosis research. Engaged in a robust campaign to inform the medical community and the public, the EndoFound emphasizes the critical importance of early diagnosis and effective intervention while simultaneously providing education to the next generation of medical professionals and their patients.
