A GNA feature by Opesika Tetteh Puplampu
Ada, Nov. 07, GNA — For nearly a decade, Mrs. Christiana Naa Kwarley Hansen lived with persistent pain, heavy menstrual bleeding, unpredictable flare-ups and exhaustion, without knowing the conditions responsible for her suffering.
What began as reproductive health symptoms gradually disrupted almost every aspect of her life, affecting her career, relationships, social activities, emotional wellbeing and independence.
After approximately nine to 10 years of uncertainty, she was diagnosed with endometriosis, adenomyosis, uterine fibroids and hydrosalpinx, conditions that have continued to present significant challenges to her health and daily life.
“One of the most painful experiences is watching the life I once knew gradually change because of conditions I never chose to live with,” she said.
For Mrs. Hansen, an Ada-born women’s health advocate, the experience has become more than a personal health struggle. It has inspired her to challenge the silence, stigma and misunderstanding surrounding menstrual and reproductive health conditions, particularly those that affect women and girls.
Her message is simple: “No woman or girl should have to spend nearly a decade suffering before being heard, believed and diagnosed.”
From personal experience to advocacy
Mrs. Hansen’s experience inspired the establishment of HEDUCA Awareness C.I.C., which began as a community initiative in 2019 before being formally incorporated as a Community Interest Company in the United Kingdom in 2025.
The organisation focuses on raising awareness, educating and advocating for women and girls affected by reproductive and menstrual health conditions, including endometriosis, adenomyosis, uterine fibroids and hydrosalpinx.
Although she is not a medically qualified practitioner, Mrs. Hansen works as a women’s health advocate and community organiser, collaborating with healthcare professionals, community organisations and public health partners to promote accurate reproductive health information.
She said her advocacy was shaped by the loneliness of living with persistent pain, struggling to obtain answers and having symptoms misunderstood.
Beyond the physical discomfort, she said, reproductive health conditions could affect a woman’s identity, livelihood, relationships and ability to participate fully in everyday activities.
The unpredictable nature of her symptoms and the exhaustion associated with her conditions had, at various times, made ordinary responsibilities difficult.
Despite these challenges, she remains committed to ensuring that other women and girls have access to information and are encouraged to seek appropriate medical attention when they experience persistent or unusual symptoms.
Taking the conversation to Ghana
In October 2026, Mrs. Hansen brought the HEDUCA’s reproductive health advocacy activities to Ghana, extending its educational campaign to schools, churches and media organisations in the Greater Accra Region.
The engagements provide participating girls with education on menstrual health, reproductive health conditions, personal hygiene and the importance of seeking medical advice for persistent symptoms.
Mrs. Hansen said taking the campaign to Ada was particularly meaningful because it offered an opportunity to engage communities and encourage more open conversations about reproductive health conditions that were often misunderstood or discussed in hushed tones.
Extending advocacy to breast health
Beyond menstrual and reproductive health, Mrs Hansen’s advocacy also includes breast health awareness.
She called on both women and men to take breast health seriously and seek medical advice when they noticed unusual changes.
She disclosed that three of her friends in the United Kingdom had died from breast cancer, an experience that had strengthened her conviction about the importance of awareness and timely medical attention.
She encouraged the public to pay attention to their health and avoid ignoring possible warning signs.
Building partnerships for greater impact
Mrs. Hansen acknowledged the support of medical professionals, colleagues, community partners and individuals who had encouraged her throughout her health journey and advocacy work.
Among those she recognised were Dr Kodzo Asamany, Dr Akosua Ofosu-Asiedu, popularly known as Dr Akos, Dr Pascal Navelle, Marie-Catherine Kodjo, Effie Blankson, Dr Sanchia Alasia, Dr Sarah Crabbe, Miss Kiki Maame Akua Ayertey, Dr Teisha Riley and Dr Jacqueline Bamfo.
She also acknowledged Dr Kwarshie Annang, Councillor for Gillingham and Rainham and Board Chairman of HEDUCA Foundation, as well as Medway Council for supporting the organisation’s initiatives for women and girls.
“Their encouragement, expertise, kindness and belief in my vision have given me strength during some of my most difficult moments,” she told the Ghana News Agency.
Since its establishment, HEDUCA has sought to address cultural stigma surrounding reproductive and menstrual health conditions, promote menstrual dignity, improve health literacy, support mental wellbeing and advocate better access to healthcare.
Its activities span underserved communities in the United Kingdom and Ghana.
The organisation hopes to develop stronger partnerships with healthcare professionals and institutions in Ghana to improve awareness, access to appropriate care and support for women living with endometriosis and other reproductive health conditions.
Mrs. Hansen said her recent Ghana outreach had focused primarily on education and awareness, but she hoped future collaborations would help address the wider challenges confronting women with reproductive health conditions.
For her, the advocacy remains deeply personal.
Having spent nearly a decade searching for answers to symptoms that affected almost every part of her life, she hopes that other women and girls will not have to endure the same prolonged uncertainty.
Her journey has not erased the pain or the challenges she continues to face, but it has given her a platform to speak for women whose experiences are often overlooked.
Through the HEDUCA, she hopes to reinforce a message that should guide conversations about women’s reproductive health: persistent pain deserves attention, women deserve to be heard, and symptoms should be properly investigated by qualified health professionals.
GNA
Edited by Laudia Anyorkor Nunoo/Benjamin Mensah
Feature Writer: Opesika Tetteh Puplampu