Uterine Vulnerability: A Lived Experience Response to Endometriosis

In this article, I examine the uterus as an object in relation to endometriosis and the epistemological struggle of sufferers to have their pain taken seriously. Defined by endometrial-like tissue outside the uterus, endometriosis affects multiple organs, causes severe pain, and is often undiagnosed for years. While outsiders frequently describe the condition, patient voices remain marginal. Using illness autoethnography and my experience in Germany, I show how delegitimized embodied knowledge shapes the identify work of coping with endometriosis. Medical gaslighting, stigma, limited literacy, and shame increase dismissal of symptoms and vulnerability. Recognizing the gendered framings of endometriosis can reshape how people cope with it.