Around one in ten women of childbearing age is affected by endometriosis, a condition in which tissue that normally lines the uterus also grows outside the uterus. This can cause pain, inflammation and even infertility. The good news is that endometriosis can now be easily diagnosed and treated with pain medication or hormone therapy. But designer Lena Keck knows that too little is known about the disease. "I want to change that," she says.
With her magazine "The Invisible Disease - Endometriosis", she draws attention to the consequences for affected women: "Severe pain, especially during menstruation, is particularly common and has a huge impact on quality of life," she writes in her bachelor's thesis, which she completed at New Design University, St. Pölten, in the Graphic and Information Design course. In personal portraits, she tells the stories of eight sufferers and five relatives with emotional, personal and individual insights into life with a chronic illness. "My legs often wobble because the pain pulls so much into my legs. The pain radiates so much that I can't drive or walk," says Paulina, for example. Minimalist visualizations and pictograms list excerpts of her symptoms and complaints, making it easier for outsiders to understand the topic.
Lena Keck has also prepared digital information material to help raise awareness: On her website, she presents a wealth of information in a compact and visual format to supplement the printed magazine. The graphics - for example to differentiate between mild and severe endometriosis - illustrate the impact the gynecological disease can have on the body of those affected. Due to individual symptoms such as skin changes, nausea or migraines, it takes an average of seven years to receive a diagnosis. The majority of women with endometriosis have exhaustion or fatigue, i.e. a very pronounced tiredness, a pathological exhaustion.
With the interviews with sufferers, book sources and practical tips, Lena Keck wants to offer help on the one hand, but also show the diverse spectrum of the disease "in order to improve the quality of life of sufferers and the understanding of relatives", as she writes. Her conclusion of the work: "It's not just about knowing what endometriosis is, it's about knowing what endometriosis means for those affected."
If you would like to find out more about Lena Keck's work, you can find it on her website. Feel free to browse through our "Mensa" section to find out about other exciting student projects.
