Marilyn Monroe is, without a doubt, Hollywood’s eternal legend. Actress, sex symbol and icon of glamour; Marilyn’s myth lives on untouched in pop culture, now more present than ever after the release of ‘Blonde’, the new Netflix drama. Yet, despite the intense fascination, little is publicly known about her tragic private life and her chronic pain, because of endometriosis.
More than period pain
As the World Health Organisation defines, endometriosis is a chronic health condition in which tissue similar to the lining of the uterus (called the endometrium) grows outside of the uterus, in other parts of the body. The ovaries and the Fallopian tubes are commonly involved, but the condition can affect the abdomen and all the other pelvic organs, too. In rare instances, endometrial-like tissue has been found in the lungs, the diaphragm and the thighs.
The endometrial-like tissue thickens, sheds and bleeds with each menstrual cycle, just like endometrium in the uterus. But unlike endometrium, endometrial-like tissue is removed very slowly, causing an inflammatory reaction that produces lesions and scarring. Some of the typical symptoms that appear during this process include pelvic pain, dysmenorrhoea and dyspareunia. If the reproductive organs are involved, this can interfere with conception and lead to infertility.
Around 190 million women of reproductive age (between 15 – 49 years of age) are affected by endometriosis, worldwide. While some women do not experience any noticeable symptoms, many – like Marilyn – must seek gynaecological help to manage the physical, emotional and psychological impact brought on by endometriosis. Marilyn had severe endometriosis, which is the most developed form of the condition.
Marilyn’s silent agony
Endometriosis has been an enigmatic condition throughout history. At the time of Marilyn’s life, it is estimated that up to 70 per cent of women with endometriosis went undetected, failing to receive treatment for their symptoms. In fact, until the late 1970s – more than a century after the microscopic discovery of the condition – the gold standard treatment remained an open surgical procedure for the removal of the ovaries.
Marilyn always refused, for she desperately wished to have children and even went so far as to tape a note to her own stomach in 1952 to protect her womanhood, pleading “for god’s sake dear doctor, no ovaries removed.” Many believe, for this reason, that the appendicitis surgery she was anonymously admitted for at the time was actually related to her severe endometriosis and the unbearable pain that she constantly suffered.
Marilyn never saw her wish of becoming a mother fulfilled, despite trying multiple times to carry a pregnancy to term. Documents reveal that she suffered at least four painful miscarriages between 1956 and 1962, as well as an ectopic pregnancy in 1958, which were contributed by the presence of endometrial-like tissue in one of her Fallopian tubes. Fred Guiles, one of her biographers, wrote how Marilyn was never the same after her last miscarriage and “seemed to sink” into a depressive episode, blaming herself and her physical condition for the profound loss.
At work, endometriosis earned her a bad reputation behind the scenes. Marilyn was often detached from reality, late for filming sessions and even absent from some events altogether, and as a result, was cruelly written off as a diva. The chronic pain, both in her private and public life, eventually led Marilyn to the use – and progressive dependency – of barbiturates, including “painkillers, tranquillisers and hypnotic drugs” in a last attempt to try and control her symptoms. At the time of her death, the level of pentobarbital sodium found in her bloodstream was almost twice as high as her blood count range.
The chronic pain with which Marilyn suffered is unquestionable. Before the days of safe anti-inflammatories, hormone-based medicines or conservative endometriosis surgery, the condition “destroyed her marriage, her wish for children, her career and ultimately her life.” Worst of all, perhaps, is that she had to suffer it all in silence, surrounded by constant scrutiny and judgement over her drug use and her depression.
Managing endometriosis today
On the 60th anniversary of Marilyn’s death, endometriosis is still a complex condition that science cannot yet fully explain. What exactly causes endometriosis, and why are some women affected and others not, are but some of the questions that remain.
Nevertheless, other aspects of the condition have changed during this time, mostly involving treatment and care, which have improved the quality of life of women with painful endometriosis. Education and awareness are also being raised by women who are speaking publicly about their experiences, helping to change public response to the condition.
To Marilyn and all these women, we owe empathy and kindness.
Do not hesitate to seek professional help if you are living with painful endometriosis. Head on over the Top Doctors website today to receive the utmost gynaecological care from our leading specialists.
Join the discussion