For my thesis, I am exploring endometriosis and its impact on women, particularly in the scope of societal stereotypes. Endometriosis is a disease in which the uterine lining that grows and sheds with the menstrual cycle every month, exists outside of the uterus, growing and breaking down as it would inside the uterus, but with nowhere for the “shed” lining to go. This creates adhesions, scar tissue, and inflammation that can glue organs in the pelvic and abdominal cavity together. Symptoms of endometriosis include severe menstrual cycles, excessive bleeding, painful cramps, chronic back/abdominal/leg pain, infertility, pain with intercourse, pain with bowel movements/urination, and more. Along with these physical symptoms, mental health issues, such as anxiety and depression, are also more common among women with endometriosis as a result of societal stereotypes around the female body and menstrual cycles