Olivia Culpo is taking a "holistic approach" to tackling her endometriosis.
Olivia Culpo
The 28-year-old model recently revealed she has been diagnosed with the long-term condition, in which tissue similar to the lining of the womb grows in other places, such as the ovaries and fallopian tubes, but isn't yet planning to consider undergoing laparoscopic surgery as a form of treatment.
She told People magazine: "I'm trying to do the holistic route as of now.
"I want to try to see if I can figure some things out for myself, but we'll see. It's a journey.
"Every month is different because I try different things every month. But I'll definitely keep everybody posted on what works for me, and eventually having to get the surgery because it really depends. Everyone's different."
Olivia admitted she was "nervous" about opening up on her health issues and she was "shocked" how many women got in touch to share their similar experiences.
She said: "It was something that I was nervous to share because I really didn't know if people would be familiar with the condition, and it turns out a lot of women are.
"I was shocked to see how many women have also suffered from endometriosis, and how many questions women have about painful periods. They're not normal, and they could get in the way of your fertility."
The Sports Illustrated model was diagnosed with the condition last year and wants to raise more awareness of endometriosis because it can be "very difficult" to identify and lead to fertility problems if left untreated.
She said: "A lot of women may have painful periods, they may not be properly diagnosed. They may never be diagnosed. They may not be getting proper treatment, or surgery in some cases.
"And then, they're 50, 40 years old, and they had never been able to have children, and then you realize, 'Oh, maybe I had had endometriosis that I was never properly diagnosed.' That's a common problem that I want to be able to use my platform to help.
"[I want to] make sure women are doing their due diligence and getting their egg count checked, making sure that if they do have painful periods, that it's not something that's affecting their ovaries or their egg.
"Down the line, it's so heartbreaking when you think about someone who maybe could have taken action earlier, and now they can't have children. That to me just feels awful."
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