I'm pleased to support this motion. I just want to say a few words paying tribute to the persistence of my colleague Jenny Rathbone in striving to ensure that we can debate this topic today. It's such an important issue. As has been said, endometriosis affects one in 10 women in Wales, and that means 160,000 women in Wales can expect to be affected by this cruel condition. Tissue will grow and attach itself to the organs in their pelvis, causing irritation that can lead to considerable pain, pain in the pelvis, back, leg, groin—intense pain during periods, during sex, using the toilet, just going about daily life. This can impact on the ability to work or the home life, as debilitating pain can make even common activities difficult. This pain can lead to fatigue, depression, infertility, or even, as a BBC report noted last year, suicidal thoughts.

However, knowing the true scale of the condition can be difficult. Some women just stick with the pain, desperately trying to manage, self-treating, or perhaps, as Jenny Rathbone has previously mentioned, not realising just what they are facing. Even if someone has taken the step to speak to their doctor, endometriosis can be underdiagnosed or misdiagnosed, resulting in women not being able to get the right help. It can also be incredibly difficult to access specialist help, a point captured in the second point of today's motion. Point 5 offers one solution to this, calling on the Welsh Government to make sure enough endometriosis specialists are trained to meet the needs of the nation. And I am pleased to see that the Royal Glamorgan Hospital in Llantrisant, which serves so many of my constituents, is being considered by specialist consultants as a centre for further surgery. This is allied to the research that needs to take place to deepen our understanding of the causes of the condition and also the most effective interventions, as point 3 in the motion sets out.

We know that there can be particular challenges amongst teenage girls in accessing treatment. This raises the potential of an untreated condition causing a lifetime's impact. Our fourth point sets out the possible solutions to tackle this by raising awareness through ensuring schools make all pupils aware of what is a normal menstrual period and when to seek medical advice.

As I close, I just want to reflect on the impact of the current coronavirus pandemic on women affected by endometriosis. Anyone receiving treatment or waiting for an appointment is likely to experience delays or cancellations. If you're waiting for a consultation, this is likely to be done remotely. Endometriosis UK have issued a stark warning that because most surgery will be regarded as non-urgent, it will be cancelled or reissued or subject to a greatly increased waiting list. I'm pleased that the charity is working closely with the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists to monitor this situation. But today's debate offers a timely reminder that we cannot forget about the women whose lives will be changed by this condition.

I hope the Senedd will support the sensible steps that we outline so that we can do all we can to ensure that those women are in turn supported to the best of our ability. Thank you.