The condition affects between 2 and 10% of all women.
The TV adaption of Sally Rooney’s novel Conversations with Friends aired on Irish TV this week, and fans are already looking forward to next week.
The first two episodes of the show, which is directed by Normal People’s Lenny Abrahamson, introduced us to the four main characters; best friends and former girlfriends Frances (Alison Oliver) and Bobbi (Sasha Lane) and an older, married couple they get caught up with; Melissa (Jemima Kirke) and Nick (Joe Alwyn).
As well as praising the acting and the striking shots of Dublin City, viewers commended the show for its representation of endometriosis.
In the book and the TV show, Frances suffers from the painful disorder in which tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows outside of the uterus. The condition, which is estimated to affect between 2 and 10% of all women, can cause severe pain, as documented by several scenes in Conversations with Friends.
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During scenes in the first two episodes, Frances’ suffering is evident. We see her attempting to ease her symptoms with a hot water bottle, and later, Bobbi finds her collapsed on the bathroom floor due to the agony.
Here, we are introduced to her endometriosis storyline, and, as UK viewers have reported (all 12 episodes are available to watch across the pond on the iPlayer), it continues to be explored throughout the series.
On Twitter, fans have been praising the show for showing the reality of the disorder.
One wrote: “Conversations with Friends is the first time I’ve ever seen something similar to my own experience of endometriosis reflected in popular media.”
Another said that she felt the TV show was the first time she ever saw the illness represented on TV.
The next two episodes of Conversations with Friends will air on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player on Wednesday 25 May at 9:35pm.
For more information on endometriosis, head to the official website for the Endometriosis Association of Ireland right here.
