Filipa Osório , José Reis , Inês Reis , from Hospital da Luz Lisboa, and Hélder Ferreira , from Hospital da Luz Arrábida, were some of the experts who participated as experts in the work of the parliamentary health committee , on the bills that proposed support and social protection for women with endometriosis and adenomyosis and which originated in a petition launched by Associação MulherEndo. Filipa Osório and Helder Ferreira were, in fact, the first signatories, with the president of MulherEndo Susana Fonseca, of the petition that gathered almost nine thousand signatures and managed to have this issue taken to Parliament and transformed into a bill, for debate and voting. On the 16 th of February, and with all these medical specialists present in the parliamentary benches intended for the public, the parliamentary debate took place on the content of the petition and the proposals prepared in the meantime by all the parties with a parliamentary seat, with the voting taking place the following day. MulherEndo intended, among other things, to see approval for the creation of a certificate of recurrent and intermittent disability, the inclusion of endometriosis in the list of serious illnesses that allow privileged access to medically assisted procreation programs, the three days of justified absences per month and the reimbursement of specific medicines for the pain caused by this disease. But, the day after the debate, the vote dictated the lead of all the proposals except the Socialist Party. The socialists defended and parliament approved the creation of the National Day of Endometriosis, for March 1 , and the constitution of a commission that «develops a national strategy to combat endometriosis. This committee must also "assess the impact of this disease at a personal, professional and financial level", says the approved draft resolution. Quoted in the media, Susana Fonseca, president of MulherEndo, spoke of «voting with a bitter taste, taking into account that we observed the unanimity of all parties in the need to implement these measures to protect women with endometriosis and adenomyosis». It is estimated that this disease affects around 230,000 women in Portugal, that is, one in ten women of reproductive age and currently has a significant economic and psychosocial impact. MulherEndo's main objective is to promote and encourage support, rehabilitation and/or physical and psychological recovery of women with endometriosis through information and direct cooperation.
