Alekszandra Rokvity

Endometriosis in Social Discourse: Mental Health and Work Productivity

Alekszandra Rokvity, PhD candidate, Karl Franzens University of Graz

Endometriosis is a chronic inflammatory illness with symptoms linked to the menstrual cycle. Although severe pelvic pain, IBS, sciatic nerve damage and fatigue are the symptoms most often discussed, international research has shown that patients themselves list something entirely different as their main concern: mental health and work productivity. Multiple investigations into the connection of emotional distress with endometriosis symptoms have shown that endometriosis patients are at high risk for developing clinical depression and anxiety. This is reportedly tied to feelings of uncertainty, isolation, lack of information, and lack of support when it comes to endometriosis care. Furthermore, research has shown that endometriosis is a costly illness, mainly due to the loss of work productivity. The costs are experienced both by the patients and their employers, as well as the healthcare system.

This lecture aims to give an overview of the links of endometriosis to mental health issues, work productivity, and how this correlates to the economy. The lecture highlights bad policies surrounding the treatment of female reproductive issues and calls for systemic change.

Alekszandra Rokvity is a Serbian-born writer and PhD candidate working on her doctorate at the Karl Franzens University of Graz in Austria. She specializes in Cultural Studies and Medical Humanities. Her academic interest lies in the experiences of women with endometriosis within the healthcare system. Her doctoral dissertation is a case study of endometriosis that explores the connection between gender bias in the medical community and the social discourse surrounding menstruation.

Ms Rokvity has taught at the University of Graz before she was a Doctoral Fellow at the Wirth Institute, and now teaches in Belgrade, Serbia. Alongside her academic career, Ms Rokvity is an avid activist for women’s rights collaborating with various international NGOs, writes literary reviews for Intima: A Journal of Narrative Medicine, and is a feminist writer for Medium.