Jenny Morrison welcomes Coalition’s $58m for endometriosis treatment

A crippling disease affecting one in nine Australian women will be tackled by the federal government in next week’s budget and it has the backing of Australia’s First Lady Jenny Morrison.

A crippling disease affecting one in nine Australian women will be tackled with $58 million, as Jenny Morrison joins the pre-election political front line with a heartwrenching account of her own “excruciating” pain.

Frequently touted by Prime Minister Scott Morrison as his “secret weapon”, both as a source of guidance and relatable connection to the Australian public, Ms Morrison, 54, has backed the Coalition’s Budget commitment to improve the diagnosis and treatment of endometriosis.

Ms Morrison told The Daily Telegraph it was “fantastic” to think Australian women and girls would not have to go through the same trauma she did.

“I was told I wouldn’t be able to have babies,” she said.

“There were times that I felt like giving up, times where I might have given up momentarily, but was encouraged (by friends and family) to keep trying.”

Jenny Morrison has entered the political fray to back the Coalition’s investment in endometriosis treatment and diagnosis. Picture: Justin Lloyd

The 2022-23 Budget will include $16.4 million to create new specialised endometriosis and pelvic pain clinics in each state and territory, and $25.2 million to provide Medicare-funded MRI scans for women suffering from cases so severe it has impacted their fertility.

The government will also spend $5.1 million to develop management plans for GPs, $5.1 million for research scholarships, $2 million for a living guidelines for patients, and $2 million for a public awareness campaign.

Jenny, with husband Scott Morrison, had trouble conceiving because of her endometriosis. Picture: Justin Lloyd

Endometriosis is a disorder in which tissue that normally lines the uterus grows outside this area and can cause debilitating pain and fertility issues.

Ms Morrison was first diagnosed with endometriosis at the age of 26, after struggling to conceive.

She had experienced horrific symptoms since Year 8, but it would be decades before she was properly treated.

“I would get so sick … vomiting, diarrhoea, terrible backache, really extreme cramps … you can get pain down your legs and everything,” she said.

After about 10 unsuccessful rounds of IVF, doctors told Ms Morrison, then in her early 30s, to consider adoption instead.

On the recommendation of a friend, she later sought a second opinion from a specialist who found Ms Morrison’s endometriosis had spread significantly.

“I ended up having surgery,” she said.

“It was a 5½-hour operation, they took a section of my bowel.”

Fortunately, Ms Morrison said this procedure “did its job”, and she later naturally conceived daughters Abby and Lily.

Former Yellow Wiggle Emma Watkins has endometriosis. Picture: Jonathan Ng

Olympic swimmer Emily Seebohm is also an advocate for endometriosis sufferers. Picture: Lyndon Mechielsen

Ms Morrison said anyone that went through endometriosis “just wants to feel better, because it’s excruciating”.

But she doesn’t “blame” the doctors who did not properly treat her originally because at the time “it just wasn’t a big thing that people talked about”.

“I think women talking about these issues now is so important just to make other people aware,” she said.

Ms Morrison is among a number of high-profile Australians with endometriosis who have sought to raise awareness about it, including Olympic swimmer Emily Seebohm, former Yellow Wiggle Emma Watkins, and Triple J radio host Bridget Hustwaite, who recently published a book on the issue.

West Australian Liberal MP Nola Marino has spearheaded policy responses to the disease since her daughter was diagnosed when she was in high school.

Boothby MP Nicolle Flint says the endometriosis funding will change lives. Picture: John Feder

Fellow Liberal MP Nicolle Flint has also been a vocal advocate, speaking openly her own harrowing case which required major surgery to remove it from her bowel and bladder.

“As someone who lives with endo, I know that our announcement today will change lives, and help women and girls get the advice and support they need,” she said.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the $58m investment would address the need for more endometriosis awareness, treatment and support.

“I have seen first-hand with Jen just how debilitating endometriosis can be for women, the mental and physical toll it takes, and it’s so important we continue to fund new services and treatments for the hundreds of thousands of women who suffer from endometriosis,” he said.

“Our plan will improve the quality of life for women living with endometriosis, with record support, building on our National Action Plan for Endometriosis, so women of all ages can get diagnosed and be supported.”