Mphonyana Ikalafeng-Verbreeck says after being diagnosed with double uterus syndrome, she stopped seeking medical healthcare as she was subjected to judgement from these workers.
She detailed that the judgement culminated from having to explain her symptoms to the healthcare professionals, and getting negative remarks from the nurses and doctors.
“My symptoms were similar to those of women undergoing a miscarriage, so the accusations were coming from the perceived accusations of illegally terminating the pregnancy,” she stated.
The 37-year-old detailed this to the team in charge of the Namibian Alliance for Rare Diseases, which has been documenting and creating awareness about rare diseases in Namibia.
“I have been living with endometriosis since I started my first period, which was in February 2001. In the beginning, for the first three months, I had heavy menstruation for seven days, and from the fourth month on, they didn’t stop,” she added. Ikalafeng-Verbreeck menstruated every day for six years, and she only got a break after taking contraceptives, which made her vomit all the time.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) says endometriosis often causes severe pain in the pelvis, especially during menstrual periods. Some people also have pain during sex, or when using the bathroom. Some people have trouble falling pregnant.
“Being an identical twin with someone who only menstruated twice a month, my family didn’t believe I was in severe pain, and I was told that I was faking it,” she recalled. She said: “At 22, I was advised by one doctor to get pregnant if I had a boyfriend as I was diagnosed with double uterus syndrome, and they wanted to perform an exploratory procedure to see which of the uteruses were active.” Ikalafeng-Verbreeck fell pregnant, but the pain and bleeding continued to persist after childbirth. She got married in 2014, and luckily her husband’s medical aid allowed her to see a specialist. She was told she had polycystic ovarian syndrome, and they treated her with hormonal supplements and pills. “The pills stopped the period, but not the pain. I then met a general practitioner who listened to me. Between 2017 and 2023, I have had 12 laparoscopic surgeries and other non-invasive pain medication surgeries to deal with endometriosis,” she explained.
Since then, Ikalafeng-Verbreeck has had her uterus and left ovary removed in 2019. This led her to resign from her teaching job, and she has been unemployed.