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One-to-one supportKāinga / Home / Endometriosis Support in Aotearoa
Tautoko | Practical help · advocacy · connection
Support that meets you where you are.
Whether you are experiencing symptoms for the first time, waiting for answers, newly diagnosed, recovering from surgery or supporting someone you love, you do not have to navigate it alone.
Start where you are
What kind of support would help today?
Choose a pathway below, or contact us if you are unsure. Our support is person-centred, practical and grounded in lived experience.
I don’t know what to do next
Work through healthcare options, appointment preparation and possible next steps.
Where to next?Help me advocate for myself
Get help explaining the impact of symptoms and asking for appropriate support.
Advocacy supportI need practical or financial help
Learn about limited assistance for practical costs connected with endometriosis care.
Endometriosis Support FundConnect me with someone who gets it
Ask about a peer connection with someone who has relevant lived experience.
Endo BuddyFind information and resources
Explore practical guides, our lending library and trusted places to find more help.
Information and resourcesPersonalised support
One-to-one support sessions
Living with pain, uncertainty or a chronic condition can feel overwhelming. A support session gives you space to be heard, talk through what is happening and identify practical next steps.
We can help with
- When symptoms are new, changing or affecting everyday life
- While you are seeking answers, waiting for care or newly diagnosed
- Before or after treatment or surgery
- Preparing questions and information for health appointments
- Talking through school, study, work, relationships and whānau challenges
- Finding relevant EWA resources and other services
This service is free and confidential.
It provides education, practical support and navigation. It does not replace individual medical, legal or counselling advice.
Healthcare navigation
Where to next?
If you are not sure what to do next, we can help you organise the information you have, prepare for conversations with health professionals and understand possible pathways through the health system.
- Prepare a clear symptom and impact summary
- Write down questions for a GP, specialist or other provider
- Think through referrals, follow-up and seeking another opinion
- Find useful information for treatment or surgery discussions
Your needs, in your words
Advocacy support
We can help you communicate what you need in systems that affect your health, education, work and wellbeing.
Support and advocacy letters
Depending on your circumstances, we may be able to write a letter describing the practical impact of your symptoms and the support you are asking for.
- Healthcare providers
- Schools, kura and tertiary providers
- Employers and workplaces
- Work and Income or other agencies
Asking for adjustments
We can help you describe reasonable changes that may make participation more manageable.
- Flexibility with attendance, deadlines or hours
- Access to rest, heat, toilets or remote options
- A plan for symptom flares and recovery
- Preparing for appointments and follow-up
What an advocacy letter can do
A letter can support your request, but it cannot guarantee that a provider, workplace, education setting or agency will approve it. We will be clear about what EWA can confirm and will not provide medical or legal advice.
Practical assistance
Endometriosis Support Fund
Our Endometriosis Support Fund provides small amounts of practical, needs-based assistance to help reduce some of the barriers people can face when accessing endometriosis care, treatment or recovery.
Depending on available funding, support may include:
- A TENS machine or another practical pain-support item
- Travel to an appointment, treatment or procedure
- Meals or other short-term recovery support following surgery
- Another clearly identified practical need related to endometriosis care
Funding is very limited and assistance is not guaranteed. We consider requests individually based on the person’s circumstances, the support needed and the funding we have available at the time.
Apply for SupportBefore, during and after care
Surgery and treatment support
Information and practical planning can make an uncertain time feel more manageable.
Before treatment
Prepare questions, understand the information you have been given and plan what support you may need.
For appointments
Organise symptoms, priorities and follow-up questions, and consider bringing a trusted support person.
Recovery planning
Think through transport, meals, rest, study, work, caring responsibilities and who can check in with you.
General support only
Your healthcare team should give you personalised advice about a procedure, medication, risks and recovery. EWA can help you prepare and find resources, but does not provide clinical advice.
Peer connection
Endo Buddy
Sometimes it helps to talk with someone who understands from lived experience. Endo Buddy connects people for supportive, informal peer conversation.
Where possible, we will consider age, life stage and the experiences you would like to connect around. A suitable match and timing cannot be guaranteed.
Ask about Endo BuddySupport for the whole person
Whānau, inclusion and access
Endometriosis affects relationships, responsibilities and everyday life. Support should recognise the people around you and the barriers you may be facing.
For whānau and support people
We can share practical information with partners, friends, parents, caregivers and others who want to understand and support someone well.
Find resources for supportersRainbow and gender-inclusive support
People of all genders can be affected by endometriosis. Trans, non-binary, intersex, takatāpui and rainbow people are welcome, and we will respect the name, pronouns and language you use for your body and experience.
Equity and access
We are committed to Te Tiriti-informed, culturally safe and more equitable support. We know cost, location, disability, racism and other barriers can affect access to care. Tell us what would make support easier to access, and we will do our best within our role and resources.
Information you can use
Resources and further support
Our guides, lending library and helpline directory sit alongside our support services—not in place of a conversation when you need one.
Practical resources
Use symptom trackers, appointment guides, factsheets and other downloadable tools.
Browse resourcesEWA Library
Borrow a book from our collection for up to six weeks within Aotearoa New Zealand.
See the libraryHelplines
Find specialist phone, text and online support when you need help outside EWA’s role or capacity.
Find helplinesBorrow and learn
EWA Library
Borrow a book from the EWA Library for up to six weeks. The lending library is currently available within Aotearoa New Zealand. A contribution towards postage is appreciated when possible, but please contact us if cost is a barrier.
You can also offer a suitable book for the collection by contacting EWA.
Email a library requestHow borrowing works
Choose a title below and email EWA with the name of the book you would like to borrow. We will confirm availability, any wait-list information and the expected postage cost before sending it.
Books available
Current library collection
Select a title to begin an email request. If a book is already on loan, we can let you know about the wait list.
Lived experience
FemTruth — Endometriosis Edition
A collection of first-person stories about living with endometriosis, originally shared in 2018.
Request this bookBladder health
The Interstitial Cystitis Survival Guide
Practical information about interstitial cystitis or bladder pain syndrome, treatment discussions and day-to-day coping strategies.
Request this bookPoetry
Life Interrupted
D. L. Heather’s poetry about chronic pain, healing, self-discovery, resilience and personal transformation.
Request this bookMemoir
Endometriosis: One Woman’s Story
Megan Harvey’s personal account of severe pain, diagnosis, infertility and treatment at a young age. This is one person’s experience, not a guide to current treatment.
Request this bookFertility
The Infertility Handbook: The Complete Resource for Couples
An older reference book about infertility, the reproductive cycle and pathways people may consider when building a family.
Request this bookA note about older titles
Some books were published several years ago and may use language or discuss care in ways that do not reflect current evidence or EWA’s wording. They are shared as lived-experience or reference material, not medical advice. There is no single cure for endometriosis.
Helplines and urgent support
If you need support outside EWA’s role or opening capacity, a specialist helpline may be able to help.
If you or someone else is in immediate danger, call 111.
EWA is not an emergency or crisis service.