Thank you, Mr. Chair and members of the House of Commons.
All of us here know someone affected by endometriosis, whether we realize it or not. That's because even though it affects one in 10 women and countless gender-diverse individuals, it often leaves people silently suffering with debilitating pain and absenteeism from work or school.
Imagine having plans of building a family but not being able to conceive because of endometriosis, or losing a kidney because of endometriosis, or having a blockage of the intestines.
When you consider that over one million people in Canada have endometriosis—which may take years to diagnose—this represents a huge economic burden on the health care system and on our society. It's estimated to be over $2 billion per year.