Robert Irwin urges men to listen up and be ‘allies for women’s health’

Wildlife conversationist Robert Irwin is telling men that it’s time to listen up and help raise awareness on women’s health issues following the news of his older sister’s health battle.

Shortly after big sister Bindi Irwin revealed details of her battle with endometriosis, 19-year-old Robert took to social media to praise his sister for her bravery and raise awareness of the horrible disease.

 

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A post shared by Robert Irwin (@robertirwinphotography)

“Bindi, I’m so proud of you. It’s been a long battle through a decade of pain, but you are finally on the road to recovery. I’m so happy you can have your life back,” Robert’s post starts off.

“Endometriosis is a horrible, crippling disease and too many women endure this in silence, or are never even diagnosed.

“Bindi, your story of resilience is a beacon for women around the world who are suffering – and it’s a wake up call for men too. It’s *everyone’s* responsibility to be allies for women’s health and help spread awareness.

“You never know who’s suffering in silence, let’s make this a topic that we all freely talk about.”

Robert’s post was met with an outpouring of support, as fans and followers expressed their agreement that men should be more vocal about supporting women’s health.

“Thank you @robertirwinphotography you’ve mentioned something very important. Men should be aware too for the sake of their sisters wives, mothers and daughters. Thank you for being such an incredible support for Bindi,” one person wrote. 

“Thank you for sharing about this! Having a male with a platform talk about women’s issues is helping eliminate the stigma. Way to be an awesome brother.”

“Part of the difficulty is that women’s pain isn’t taken seriously by those in the medical field. Thank you for sharing awareness, boosting your sister’s voice, and validating her pain and experience,” another commented.

Meanwhile, others left comments sharing their own harrowing experience with endometriosis.

“5 years is how long it took for my endometriosis diagnosis. 5 miscarriages (and 4 healthy children) later, I was finally diagnosed. I went through a hysterectomy last year and haven’t looked back since,” one person shared.

“I got a hysterectomy in 2019 for my endometriosis. Best decision of my life, it was practically killing me. Maddening I suffered for so long with little to no answers. Glad awareness is happening and hope she has quick healing!”

“Suffered through the 80s and 90s no one understood. Thanks to people in the media sharing their stories bring about awareness and research,” another revealed.

According to Endometriosis Australia, endometriosis “is a common condition that affects one in 9 women” it can cause a “number of symptoms such as pelvic pain and infertility, it is possible that you can have endometriosis and not have either of these problems.”

If you suspect that you have endometriosis, it is recommended that you speak to your doctor about your symptoms.

IMPORTANT LEGAL INFO: This article is of a general nature and FYI only, because it doesn’t take into account your personal health requirements or existing medical conditions. That means it’s not personalised health advice and shouldn’t be relied upon as if it is. Before making a health-related decision, you should work out if the info is appropriate for your situation and get professional medical advice.