A nonprofit has launched to change how endometriosis is researched, treated and understood, starting with a documentary that features the stories of people, including Amy Schumer and Marilyn Monroe.
The nonprofit, The Endometriosis Collective, has included Schumer and Monroe in the feature-length documentary “End of the Cycle,” which will premiere in New York Tuesday. Schumer, a comedian, writer and actress, has previously spoken of how endometriosis left her “on the floor in pain, vomiting from the pain, the pain that nobody can see.”
Schumer is one of several celebrities included in the documentary. Other contributors include the dancer Julianne Hough, Olympic medalist Brittany Brown and actresses Janel Parrish and Folake Olowofoyeku.
The Endometriosis Collective timed the documentary premiere to coincide with the 100th anniversary of Monroe’s birth. Monroe, who died in 1962, starred in movies such as “Some Like It Hot” and “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.” The star’s endometriosis was so severe “that it destroyed her marriages, her wish for children, her career and ultimately her life,” according to a biography published in 1985.
The Endometriosis Collective said the documentary shares newly uncovered information about Monroe’s experience with endometriosis. The information connects Monroe’s story to the experiences of women across generations, highlighting how far awareness, research and care still have to go, the nonprofit said.
“By sharing this part of her story through ‘End of the Cycle,’ we hope to honor her legacy in a way that brings visibility to endometriosis, encourages more open dialogue and helps inspire the research needed to create change,” a representative of the Marilyn Monroe Estate said in a statement.
As part of the premiere, The Endometriosis Collective is holding a panel discussion. Schumer, Brown and Olowofoyeku, the documentary’s co-directors Sammy Jaye and Soraya Simi, and medical experts are due to be part of the premiere. The Endometriosis Collective is making the film free to stream online.
AbbVie’s Orilissa and Sumitomo Pharma’s Myfembree are among the approved drugs for endometriosis pain. Hough, one of the participants in the documentary, starred in an Orilissa campaign in 2017.