The Netherlands striker opens up on the condition that temporarily derailed her Everton career and the symptoms to look out for
W
hen the sharp, stabbing pain in her abdomen became so severe that she had to be substituted at half-time during an Everton match, Katja Snoeijs knew what she was experiencing was not merely “normal period pains”. And she was right.
The 29-year-old Netherlands striker has since been diagnosed with endometriosis, which affects one in 10 women. She says she counts herself lucky, because she received her diagnosis within a year and was shocked to learn the national average wait for a diagnosis in the UK is nine years.
The condition involves cells similar to those found in the lining of the womb growing elsewhere in the body, which can lead to inflammation and chronic pain. This year, Snoeijs had keyhole surgery to treat it and, having recovered to resume full training before Saturday’s Merseyside derby with Liverpool in the WSL, has decided to open up about her experiences in the hope of encouraging more women to seek help.
