Edinburgh Fringe artists aim to break stigma around women's health

Artists at this year’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe are shining a light on women’s health issues and breaking down the stigma associated with certain conditions.

From painful periods, menopause and pregnancy – performers say they want to share their experiences and educate younger and older audiences.

Pauline Eyre’s show at Cabaret Voltaire is all about women’s bodies and explores her own journey through the menopause, which began 15 years ago

She told STV News: “I’ve had all of the symptoms, lots of fun and funny things about it as well, like I do really stupid things with brain fog. The show is very light-hearted, it’s not a sad show I don’t think at all.

“When I’ve talked about menopause during my gigs, people have come up afterwards and said ‘I feel seen’ and ‘my husband learnt so much, it made all make sense to him’. That’s a really nice thing.”

Elsewhere, the story of one young woman’s endometriosis diagnosis and dealing with the associated symptoms and chronic pain is explored in The Spilling Cup at Surgeons’ Hall.

Noemie Galante wrote the play while suffering from a flare up of the condition – which affects 10% of women and takes on average more than eight years to get a diagnosis

She said: “We don’t really talk about our periods, we just use euphemisms, we whisper about it and we never really compare so no-one really has an idea what is a heavy period or what is an abnormally heavy period.”

With funding from Queen Margaret University, the show hopes to spark conversations around the condition.

Actor Hannah Taylor said: “I want to try and encourage people to start advocating for better reproductive healthcare because the show is not about demonising the NHS. It’s about saying we can do better.

Finding the funny in it all is Abrasion at the Gilded Balloon.

The story begins with its author Meg Rose-Dixon celebrating her “endoversary” – the date she had finally got her endometriosis diagnosis and surgery

She said: “I deal with my trauma through humour. The condition itself wasn’t and isn’t really taught enough in schools.

“Also, regarding GP surgeries, you’re given a set script and if your patient doesn’t apply to those things then they often get dismissed with IBS or anxiety or depression, or maybe it’s just a bad period or just your hormones. It’s a common, common thing.”

By bringing these conditions to the Fringe, the hope is it will help audiences recognise their symptoms, and for some, lead to better treatments and diagnosis.