2FM DJ Tracy Clifford has opened up about her fertility struggles after she was diagnosed with silent endometriosis.
The radio star had no idea she was suffering from the condition until she and her fiancée Mark began trying for a baby.
She said: "We've had a little fertility journey; not a journey, an expedition, and we're always in the trenches.
READ MORE: RTE 2FM's Tracy Clifford opens up on difficult decision to cancel dream wedding
"After all the exploration that you do when working out why it's not happening, I found out that I had silent endometriosis and that was just in February, so I've been trying to navigate that."
Silent endometriosis sees sufferers have tissue similar to the lining of the uterus growing in other areas but with none of the characteristic symptoms of endometriosis, such as pain.
Because there is a lack of symptoms, this means women may not receive a diagnosis for many years.
"I wasn't in any pain with it, no symptoms that I was are of," Tracy told the RTE Guide.
"When I did research on it, I found out that one in ten Irish women have endometriosis that they're suffering terrible pain with and of course, it affects their fertility, their mental health, their work life and home life.
"So I was walking around with stage three endometriosis, and I didn't have a clue, and it was affecting my fertility.
"No one was exploring it and it made me realise that you have to advocate for yourself so much."
Tracy had a laparoscopy earlier this year to remove the endometriosis.
Now, she and Mark are continuing to try for a baby as they would love to be parents.
She said she hopes that by sharing her story, she could help others.
She said: "I didn't plan to talk about this, but even if this interview helps someone else to figure out that they have silent endometriosis, I'll be glad I talked about it.
"There needs to be more information about it.
"Women go through the medical system for years and years being fobbed off about fertility or menstrual concerns and the dots are not connected.
"We need to do better,” she added.
Join the Irish Mirror’s breaking news service on WhatsApp. Click this link to receive breaking news and the latest headlines direct to your phone. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
