Endometriosis, STEM, motherhood: How this research is changing women’s lives

From crippling health conditions to life saving policies, this research is providing real life change to women’s lives.

There are approximately 13.7 million females living in Australia right now. Of these, some are dealing with challenging health issues, others are breaking down workplace barriers and stereotypes, and some are struggling with post-partum issues, and mental health challenges. 

Projects from across Flinders University are tackling some of these issues faced by women, finding real-world solutions to change women’s lives for the better.

Short-term pain relief for women with endometriosis 

“I have endometriosis growing on my uterus, bladder, bowel, liver, kidney, and I have endometriosis on the lower left side of my abdomen,” Sarah Crocker, explains. 

At 29, she has already undergone three surgeries to help manage her endometriosis, which when it flares up, is a painful experience that usually involves, “bloating, constipation or diarrhoea, cramping throughout the day, tiredness and painful intercourse.” 

Endometriosis is a condition where cells similar to the lining of the uterus grow outside the uterus. The condition can cause cyst formation, adhesions, and severe pain. Around one in 10 Australian women are affected. 

In a bid to help women manage their endometriosis pain, exercise physiologist and Flinders University senior lecturer, Dr Joyce Ramos, along with others, developed a virtual reality (VR) exercise session that patients can do from the comfort of their home to provide short-term pain relief. 

“The availability of an effective self-managed digital health tool is particularly important among those with busy lifestyles or those who live in rural and remote areas with limited access to healthcare,” Dr Ramos says. 

Dr Joyce worked in collaboration with many researchers from a variety of disciplines across Flinders University as well as Western Colorado University.

Twenty-two Australian women experiencing pelvic pain due to endometriosis were included in three groups for the study which consisted of a VR exercise group, telehealth exercise group and a control group. The visual analogue scale (VAS) was used to assess the severity of their pelvic pain.

Dr Joyce said the pilot study provides important information on the potential benefits of these digital health interventions, and the feasibility of a larger and more expensive full-scale study on assessing future treatment options.

Ms Crocker hopes endometriosis research and treatment continues to improve in the years to come.

“I would like there to be a better understanding of the wide range of symptoms women can experience with endometriosis, and we need to know how to manage it better without surgical intervention.”

Inspiring girls to step into the world of STEM

Encouraging girls and young women to study science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subjects benefits not just their own future careers, but society has a whole according to Professor Maria Parappilly, Flinders University professor of physics and the STEM Enrichment Academy director. 

“If women aren’t in these roles, you are missing half the population’s intelligence and if women aren’t contributing to STEM, you’re not getting their unique ideas into action and hence become a less progressive society,” she says. 

Women represent just 15 per cent of all people working in STEM jobs, according to data from the Department of Industry, Science and Resources. 

Flinders is proud to have many leading female researchers across the STEM fields such as: Professor Karen Reynolds, whose work in medical device innovation improves healthcare delivery; Professor Michelle Coote, whose important work in chemistry can lead to advancements in industries like pharmaceuticals and manufacturing; Professor Claire Lenehan, an expert in analytical chemistry and forensics that aids in solving crimes and public safety; Professor Sophie Leterme, who specialises in biofilm research and marine biology contributing to the sustainable management of marine resources and environmental conservation; and Professor Harriet Whiley, who conducts research in environmental health, focusing on water quality and infection control. These remarkable women are making significant contributions to their respective fields and advancing scientific knowledge for mankind.

Flinders University also has the STEM Enrichment Academy which aims to inspire the next generation of girls in STEM through hands-on multi day workshops and conferences. They hope to give Year 9 girls from regional and metropolitan South Australia, as well as the Northern Territory, new understandings of STEM education and career options before they make their subject selection at senior secondary school level. 

The program, which has been running since 2019, has reached 1616 girls and 205 teachers so far. 

Senior school STEM enrolments of the 2019 cohort of girls (441) increased to 91 per cent and University enrolments amongst them included a wide range of degrees including Physics, Space and Astrophysics, Nuclear Physics, Engineering, Architecture, Biomedical, Medical and Laboratory sciences.

Enhancing body image in motherhood  

Many women experience a mix of emotions during the post-partum period. For some women, it’s also a time of body image issues as they struggle with their changing figure and identity post-birth.  

Flinders University third-year PhD student, Pip Granfield, said that mothers who feel positive about their bodies tend to make better decisions for their health, ranging from what they eat, to how they exercise, and their likelihood to undertake preventative health behaviours.

“If you can appreciate and respect your body for what it can do, you’re more likely to take care of it,” she explains.  

“If mum is feeling better about herself and has the time and space to take care of her physical needs, that’s likely to make her a happier person, one who is better able to fulfil all the roles she has in her life.”  

Granfield, who was the lead author of the study, Enhancing Body Image in Motherhood, worked in collaboration with Maastricht University in the Netherlands. The study saw 143 mothers of children aged 10 and under complete one of two 15-minute online writing exercises.  

One exercise called ‘Expand Your Horizon’, which was developed by Maastricht University collaborator, Dr Jessica Alleva, asked women to write about everything their bodies can do, and why these things were important to them, as opposed to what their body looked like. The other exercise asked women to write about the functionality of everyday objects like a smartphone or pram.

“We found that in our group of women who completed Expand Your Horizon there were significant improvements in how they felt about themselves after they completed the exercise,” Granfield explains. 

“It had a stronger effect for women who were low in self-compassion to start with, and we believe this is because the Expand Your Horizon writing task presented to them a perspective of their body that they had never previously considered.”  

In what a huge change in a woman’s life, Granfield’s advice for all new mothers is to “give yourself some grace given the changes that you’ve gone through physically, mentally and emotionally.”  

Support for victims of violence paid leave 

Increased work is needed to ensure all employers and employees know about the Fair Work Amendment (Paid Family and Domestic Violence Leave) Act 2022 according to Flinders University researchers. This was just one of the recommendations they made when they led an independent statutory review into the real-world use of the Act. 

The review also found that ongoing stigma around family and domestic violence (FDV) was a barrier to workers accessing the leave. 

Flinders Professor in Law and Criminology, Dr Marinella Marmo, said FDV is closely connected to women’s employment and economic security as well as workplace culture and equity more broadly. 

The Act, which came into place in workplaces across Australia in February 2023, provides an entitlement of 10 days’ paid FDV leave to all employees under the Fair Work Act 2009. 

The reform particularly supports women who are overrepresented as victim-survivors of domestic and family violence. 

The 2021-22 Personal Safety Survey conducted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics found that 1 in 4 women in Australia have experienced violence by an intimate partner, compared to 1 in 14 men. 

In total, the Flinders led review made 12 findings and five key recommendations. 

Information about the Family and Domestic Paid Leave entitlement can be accessed here. 

If this article raised any concerns for you, help is available for any person experiencing family and domestic violence. If in immediate danger, call 000. For counselling and support, call 1800 RESPECT [1800 737 732]. For other support, you can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14