Patients say pelvic botox injections ease endometriosis pain, but access has been pulled from the ACT public system

ABC NEWS (Australia)

It's renowned for smoothing wrinkles and re-winding the effects of ageing but Botox is also seen as an effective treatment for some cases of endometriosis.  Patients have described the procedure as "life changing" but it's no longer available publicly in the Australian Capital Territory with Canberra health services concerned about its effectiveness and safety

Transcript

00:00On some days, just making it to the clinic is a win for paediatric worker Amy

00:07because on other days she can barely leave the house.

00:10It literally feels like your insides are swelling,

00:15twisting in knots, are being pulled in every single direction,

00:19there are hot knives.

00:21Despite her hysterectomy, countless surgeries and medication,

00:25Amy's endometriosis is still unpredictable and painful.

00:29I just was in the kitchen and got hit with a big wave of pain

00:34and ended up crawling on the lounge room floor.

00:37In late 2023, one Canberra doctor began offering pelvic Botox injections

00:42through the public health system.

00:44Advocates had been waiting for years for the procedure to arrive in the ACT.

00:49The relief I had from that was nothing like anything else I'd had ever before

00:54in my 20 years of having these problems.

00:56But earlier this year, the doctor was suddenly directed to stop.

01:01The decision to cease the procedure was a precaution due to unknown risks.

01:05There is limited evidence to support injections for chronic pelvic pain,

01:09the ACT government said.

01:11Pelvic Botox doesn't work for everyone and the relief only lasts for up to a year.

01:16It means patients like Jess and Amy are now due for another round of injections,

01:21but now their only options are to travel to New South Wales

01:24or turn to the private system, which can cost thousands.

01:28Pelvic physiotherapy is also another option, but the ACT waitlist is nearly a year long.

01:34Financially it just was never an option for me unfortunately, as it is for a lot of people.

01:40It's very frustrating that someone else can make this decision for me

01:43that has probably absolutely no idea what it's like to live with this.

01:46CHS says it's open to reintroducing the procedure if the doctor submits a research proposal.

01:53And the wash is not open to the public.

01:53Our human being is the right answer.

01:54So what CHAOS looks like...

01:55Yes, yes, yes.

01:56We spent the concertsanter credit

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