Lena Dunham announced yesterday that she would be taking some time off, and that she will not be doing any press for season five of Girls. The actress, author, producer, director, trailblazer and all-around charming human being took to Instagram to tell her fans that she would be taking some time off to attend to her health.
Dunham explained to her followers that she suffers from endometriosis, a chronic condition that effects one in ten women worldwide. It’s a disease where tissue similar to the lining inside the uterus, is found on the outside, causing a chronic inflammatory reaction that can result in scar tissue. Symptoms include (but not limited to); painful periods, painful ovulation, heavy bleeding, chronic pelvic pain, and infertility.
It’s an uncomfortable and agonizing condition, so while the timing for her break isn’t ideal it’s a necessary step. She also acknowledged how fortunate she is, noting that not all women can afford to take time off. “So many women with this disease literally don’t have the option of time off and I won’t take it for granted”. Even if her announcement was primarily to explain why she would be absent from the press tour, she has also shed light on a condition that affects so many women, and used her platform to continue the conversation about women’s reproductive health.
#Peace.Love.LenaDunham
