Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman YVONNE LOPEZ
District 19 (Middlesex)
Assemblywoman VALERIE VAINIERI HUTTLE
District 37 (Bergen)
Assemblywoman JOANN DOWNEY
District 11 (Monmouth)
Co-Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman Murphy
SYNOPSIS
Designates March of each year as “Endometriosis Awareness Month.”
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
A Joint Resolution designating March of each year as “Endometriosis Awareness Month.”
Whereas, Endometriosis is a disease with no known cure or cause in which the endometrium, a type of tissue that normally grows in the uterus, also grows outside the uterus; and
Whereas, Endometriosis occurs in at least one in 10 women of reproductive age and as many as 176 million women worldwide; and
Whereas, Currently, endometriosis can only be diagnosed with certainty via a laparoscopic surgical procedure, and health care providers must focus on managing the symptoms of endometriosis with treatments that may include in-vitro fertilization, low-dose oral contraceptives, intrauterine devices, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist therapy; and
Whereas, Many women with endometriosis live with debilitating, chronic pain, and between 30 and 50 percent of women with endometriosis experience infertility; and
Whereas, Women experience an average delay of up to 10 years between the first symptoms of pain and the final endometriosis diagnosis; and
Whereas, Endometriosis can affect every organ of the body, including the bowel, bladder, ureters, lungs, diaphragm, skin, eyes, and brain; and
Whereas, The first Worldwide Endometriosis March took place in 2014, with events held in more than 40 countries; and
Whereas, On March 24, 2018, 63 countries around the world participated in the Worldwide Endometriosis March, which has been sponsored by the American Medical Association, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, American Society for Reproductive Medicine, Society of Laparoendoscopic Surgeons, International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics, and the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology; and
Whereas, There is a need for further research and increased research funding for endometriosis, as research and funding could lead to earlier detection, the discovery of the cause of the disease, a reliable, less invasive, and less costly way to diagnose the disease, more effective ways to manage symptoms, and a cure; and
Whereas, It is fitting and proper that the Legislature designate the month of March as “Endometriosis Awareness Month” in New Jersey to increase endometriosis awareness and highlight the importance of diagnosing this disease; now, therefore,
Be It Resolved by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. March of each year is designated as “Endometriosis Awareness Month” in the State of New Jersey to help increase endometriosis awareness and highlight the importance of diagnosing this disease.
2. The Governor is requested to annually issue a proclamation calling upon public officials and the citizens of New Jersey to observe the month with appropriate activities and programs.
3. This joint resolution shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This joint resolution designates March of each year as “Endometriosis Awareness Month” in New Jersey to increase endometriosis awareness and highlight the importance of diagnosing this disease.
The joint resolution asks the Governor to annually issue a proclamation recognizing March as “Endometriosis Awareness Month” in New Jersey, and calling upon public officials and the citizens of New Jersey to observe the month with appropriate activities and programs.