Project star Sarah Harris shocked over co-host’s revelation

Project host Sarah Harris was stunned on Sunday night’s show when a co-host opened up about an issue they’ve been struggling with.

Project host Sarah Harris was stunned on Sunday night’s show when a co-host opened up about her battle with a chronic illness.

Harris had just concluded her segment exploring the issue of a gender pain gap that is leaving women around Australia suffering, when all eyes turned to Susie Youssef as she let out a loud sigh.

Youssef then revealed her health struggle, explaining that she been suffering from migraines for years, which has made her need to work under bright lights challenging due to light sensitivity and nausea.

“That’s an incredibly important conversation to have and some amazing women there who are willing to open up,” Youssef said about the pain gap segment.

“I’m a chronic migraine sufferer, I’ve had migraines for years and one of the things that’s particularly hard for me is light sensitivity and my job is to be in front of lights.”

Harris reacted with: “Oh my gosh!”

Youssef continued: “Sadly you have all witnessed this, I’ve done this show with a bucket underneath the desk worrying that I was going to vomit from a migraine.

Sarah Harris was stunned on The Project when Susie Youssef shared her struggle with chronic illness. Picture: Channel 10

“So it is one of those things that I hope people take more seriously. I’ve been so lucky to have medical professionals that have listened to me and heard me but I have countless friends who have suffered from endometriosis and other issues that haven’t been heard so it’s a really important story.”

Research shows women’s pain is less understood and less treated than mens, in what’s known as the gender pain gap.

A study by Nurofen found 55 per cent of women feel their pain is being ignored or dismissed, of those 32 per cent feel it’s due to their GP not taking them seriously.

From waiting longer for a diagnosis to being prescribed less effective drugs, woman are fighting back against cases of medical misogyny.

Youssef thanked Harris for her segment on the gender pain gap. Picture: Channel 10

Gabrielle Jackson was among the women who experienced this issue, taking years to get a diagnosis.

“It wasn’t just period pain it was leg pain, diarrhoea, headaches,” she told the Project. “I had a female GP who used to say ‘some women have bad period pain, you’ll get over it’, basically. Eventually I insisted on seeing a gynaecologist and I started talking for like 30 seconds and he said ‘I think you’ve got endometriosis’.

Gabrielle Jackson talked to The Project. Picture: Channel 10

When asked how she felt when she finally got the diagnosis, she said she was relieved.

“I burst into tears, because I felt thank god, I’m not totally bad, I wrote myself off as a hypochondriac.”

“Science never really studied women’s bodies, so most the knowledge we have is from studying men.”

Originally published as Project star Sarah Harris shocked over co-host’s revelation