Più (in)visibili per chi? Uno sguardo intersezionale sull'accesso alla diagnosi e al trattamento dell'endometriosi

Endometriosis is among the conditions that have been referred to as “invisible”, in that they present highly subjective clinical manifestations and are characterized by the absence of a known aetiology, subjective variability in the solutions proposed to control the symptoms and by the lack of medical knowledge. These characteristics, combined with a delegitimization of patients’ suffering by medical practitioners, have fostered the creation of self-help groups based on the sharing of experiences and knowledge, sometimes explicitly challenging medical authority. Recently, these pathologies have attracted increased media attention, thanks to the mobilizations of groups and associations calling for their recognition. The paper focuses on the first results of a research that adopts an intersectional perspective, highlighting the role played by individual characteristics (and their combinations) in the experience of endometriosis, in the relationship with expert knowledge and medical institutions, and in the possibilities of access to services. In particular, it investigates the medical construction of the “typical patient” and how this construction may affect access to health care for patients that do not have those characteristics. Finally, the article delves into the difficulties trans and non-binary people face in accessing the diagnosis of a condition with a strong gender connotation.