Adenomyosis, Disability, and Policy: Why Petition e-6929 Matters in Canada

How a federal petition and emerging evidence are bringing disability recognition into focus.

Authors: Victoria Jackman*, Samantha L. Levang*, Andrea Gallo Hoyos, & Caroline F. Pukall *shared first-authorship

For many people with adenomyosis, a “normal” day can mean waking up already exhausted, planning work or school around pain flares, and worrying about what will happen if they need more time off. Petition e-6929 is trying to address these realities.

Petition e-6929: What it asks for

Petition e-6929 calls on the House of Commons (2026) to:

• Recognize adenomyosis and endometriosis as conditions that can qualify as disabilities when they substantially limit daily activities or the ability to work.

• Increase dedicated research funding

• Create standardized, evidence-based clinical care pathways across provinces in Canada

These requests are about aligning policy with the documented impacts of these conditions on people’s lives, including both adenomyosis and endometriosis. There is also a companion blog on endometriosis and Petition e-7415, which highlights similar themes around disability, research, and policy in Canada.

Adenomyosis is one of the conditions named in Petition e-6929, yet many Canadians may be unfamiliar with what it is, how it relates to endometriosis, and why it matters in discussions about disability, health care access, and quality of life.

What is adenomyosis?

Adenomyosis is a chronic gynecological condition in which tissue similar to the uterine lining grows into the muscular wall of the uterus. It is a long-term condition that can cause the uterus to enlarge and may lead to heavy menstrual bleeding, severe menstrual pain, chronic pelvic pain, fatigue, and fertility challenges (Kho et al., 2026; Schrager et al., 2022). Although adenomyosis was once thought to primarily affect women over 40 who had given birth, advances in ultrasound and MRI have expanded recognition to younger individuals, including those seeking help for infertility (Kho et al., 2026; Schrager et al., 2022). Many people with adenomyosis also have endometriosis or other gynecologic conditions, which can make diagnosis and treatment even more complex.

Adenomyosis and endometriosis are distinct conditions, but they share important similarities. Both involve tissue similar to the uterine lining growing where it should not, and both are associated with estrogen dependence, progesterone resistance, and chronic inflammation (Bulun et al., 2023). The two conditions also frequently occur together. Research suggests that between 25 and 70 percent of people with endometriosis may also have adenomyosis (Schrager et al., 2022).

Despite this, adenomyosis remains under-recognized. Diagnosis often depends on access to specialized ultrasound or MRI, and there are still no universally agreed upon diagnostic criteria (Moldassarina, 2023). This means people may live with pain and bleeding for years without a clear diagnosis or adequate care.

How adenomyosis can be disabling

Heavy menstrual bleeding is the most common symptom of adenomyosis, affecting approximately 40 to 60 percent of those diagnosed, while painful periods are reported by up to 80 percent of patients (Krentel et al., 2017; Li et al., 2018). However, like endometriosis, adenomyosis can affect far more than the menstrual cycle. Symptoms may interfere with work, education, caregiving responsibilities, social activities, and everyday tasks. People may need to change shifts, miss classes, cancel plans, or avoid long commutes because of pain, bleeding, or fear of leaks. These impacts can fluctuate over time, making participation in daily life unpredictable for some individuals. Indeed, research shows that people with adenomyosis report significantly lower quality of life, higher rates of anxiety and depression, and substantially greater loss of work productivity than those without the condition (Alcalde et al., 2021; Li et al., 2022).

Stigma and disbelief make this worse; symptoms such as heavy bleeding and severe menstrual pain are often normalized, and many people report being told their symptoms are “just bad periods” or due to stress. Diagnostic delays, lack of access to imaging, and limited awareness among clinicians all contribute to prolonged suffering.

In practice, this means adenomyosis can substantially limit what people are able to do day to day, in ways that fit how disability is defined in law and policy.

What you can do

Recognizing adenomyosis as potentially disabling is not about labels; it is about making sure that people who are already losing sleep, income, and opportunities do not also lose their right to support. 

Petition e-6929 is arriving at a crucial time, pushing toward disability recognition and care that reflect how these conditions actually affect people’s lives.

Petition e-6929 closes on July 8, 2026, at 4:40PM (EDT), so signatures are time-sensitive.

To learn more about how endometriosis is being addressed through Petition e-7415 and the VISIBLE Study, see our companion blog on endometriosis and disability in Canada.

Sign Petition e-6929: https://www.ourcommons.ca/petitions/en/Petition/Sign/e-6929

References

Alcalde, A. M., Martínez-Zamora, M. Á., Gracia, M., Ros, C., Rius, M., Nicolás, I., & Carmona, F. (2021). Impact of Adenomyosis on Women's Psychological Health and Work Productivity: A Comparative Cross-Sectional Study. Journal of Women's Health, 30(11), 1653–1659. https://doi.org/10.1089/jwh.2020.8789

Bulun, S. E., Yildiz, S., Adli, M., Chakravarti, D., Parker, J. B., Milad, M., Yang, L., Chaudhari, A., Tsai, S., Wei, J. J., & Yin, P. (2023). Endometriosis and adenomyosis: shared pathophysiology. Fertility and Sterility, 119(5), 746–750. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fertnstert.2023.03.006

House of Commons of Canada. (2026). Petition e‑6929 – Disability (Endometriosis and adenomyosis). Our Commons. Retrieved from https://www.ourcommons.ca/petitions/en/Petition/Details?Petition=e-6929

Kho, K. A., Gingold, J. A., & Shin, J. H. (2026). Adenomyosis Pathophysiology, Diagnostic Advances, and Therapeutic Options. Obstetrics and Gynecology, 10.1097/AOG.0000000000006276. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1097/AOG.0000000000006276

 Krentel, H., Cezar, C., Becker, S., Di Spiezio Sardo, A., Tanos, V., Wallwiener, M., & De Wilde, R. L. (2017). From Clinical Symptoms to MR Imaging: Diagnostic Steps in Adenomyosis. BioMed Research International, 2017, 1514029. https://doi.org/10.1155/2017/1514029

Li, J. J., Chung, J. P. W., Wang, S., Li, T. C., & Duan, H. (2018). The Investigation and Management of Adenomyosis in Women Who Wish to Improve or Preserve Fertility. BioMed Research International, 2018, 6832685. https://doi.org/10.1155/2018/6832685 

Li, N., Yuan, M., Li, Q., Ji, M., Jiao, X., & Wang, G. (2022). Higher Risk of Anxiety and Depression in Women with Adenomyosis as Compared with Those with Uterine Leiomyoma. Journal of Clinical Medicine, 11(9), 2638. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm11092638

Moldassarina R. S. (2023). Modern view on the diagnostics and treatment of adenomyosis. Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics, 308(1), 171–181. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00404-023-06982-1

Schrager, S., Yogendran, L., Marquez, C. M., & Sadowski, E. A. (2022). Adenomyosis: Diagnosis and Management. American Family Physician, 105(1), 33–38. https://www.aafp.org/pubs/afp/issues/2022/0100/p33.html

POV: You’re Watching Porn Made For Men

The discussion of porn in the feminist movement was a major contribution to the feminist sex wars in the 80s and 90s, which split feminist scholars into anti-porn and pro-sex categories (Stewart, 2019). A main anti-porn argument stated that porn not only caused harm to women but is harmful in and of itself due to its subordination of women (Stewart, 2019). In general, third and fourth-wave feminists do not hold the same anti-pornography behaviours as second-wave feminists, prompting many feminist scholars to call for a re-evaluation of the type of pornography being consumed by women (Stewart, 2019)-namely, whether the porn women are watching truly embodies the female sexual experience, whether mainstream porn carries anti-women connotations, and whether this can be altered to diminish female subordination in pornography. As in every facet of society, women have had to pave a way for themselves through the male-dominated infrastructure, thus it was only a matter of time until women re-evaluated and reimagined the world of pornography. This has resulted in the creation of “feminist porn”, which centers the “female gaze” and experience.

What is feminist porn and how does it capture the female gaze?

Feminist porn is a genre of pornography that portrays various body types, ages, genders, and sexualities, includes boundaries and protection, challenges stereotypes and maintains a sense of realism; all while ensuring ethical processes off-screen (Altmann & Altman, 2022). Another key aspect of feminist porn is the inclusion of the female gaze, which is a concept grown from film theory (Altmann & Altman, 2022). The female gaze discusses the differences in heterosexual male perspectives versus heterosexual female perspectives in film, and how those differences are portrayed using language, camera angles, character perspectives and the fetishization of women (Altmann & Altman, 2022). In feminist pornography, the female gaze is used to capture aspects of female desire and portrays a sense of connectedness, intimacy, passion, longing and communication that is not found in mainstream porn (Stewart, 2019).

Why is feminist porn necessary?

Feminist porn allows those searching for an online sexual outlet to find media that caters to their beliefs as well as their needs. A very prominent aspect of mainstream pornography is its catering to the male gaze. Corsianos argues that most porn scripts are written by heterosexual men and intended for a heterosexual male audience (2007). A necessary feature of the male gaze is the objectification of women, which Corsianos states as being emphasized through the similar features many female porn actors have, such as long hair, thinness, makeup, breast implants, and high heels, creating an ideal of what they “should” look like (2007). This creates a default of the man being the looker, and the woman being the object of observation. To counteract this default, the narratives must flip; in comes the concept of feminist porn. Feminist porn not only facilitates the female gaze but allows for a shift from the heterosexual male-dominated scene of pornography to a more inclusive, broad and less intimidating environment.

Okay, but what does feminist porn consist of?

Feminist porn includes diversity in terms of body shapes and sizes, age, sexuality, gender, pairings, race, ethnicity and disability (Steber, 2020). This allows for many more women, men, and gender non-conforming individuals to find actors that they resonate with, creating a more fluid and connected sensual experience when watching porn. Feminist porn has worked to dismantle the hurtful stereotypes enforced by the mainstream porn industry, such as unachievable expectations regarding weight, body hair, sexual ability, female submission and male aggression. Additionally, many feminist pornographers define good porn for women as one that includes all aspects of female sexuality. As defined by Stewart, this includes the portrayal of her desires, her pleasure, her experience of sex, and her orgasm (2019). Not only does feminist porn focus on creating porn for women, but it has sought to unsettle and expand the conventional definitions of sex (Stewart, 2019) by creating porn that resonates with people who hold minority genders and sexualities. As opposed to centring porn around the male orgasm, feminist porn expresses the many varieties of pleasure experienced by other people. In terms of female-to-female sex representation in pornography, mainstream lesbian sex is depicted in a way that attracts the straight male audience, as opposed to the authentic queer experience (Brehas, 2021). Corsianos explains mainstream lesbian porn to be constructed as “the straight male’s fantasy”, one in which women are seen to seek lesbianism not as a form of self-pleasure and empowerment, but as a tool to please the male audience (2007).

How does feminism in porn translate off-screen?

A key aspect of feminist porn is its concern about the rights and safety of its actors off-screen (Stewart, 2019). Feminist porn ensures fair and equitable treatment for its participants, allowing for a more comfortable, welcoming, safe and empowering environment (Stewart, 2019). Consent is an issue prevalent both on and off-screen in feminist porn and is achieved through a discussion of boundaries, health concerns, protection and limits (Steber, 2020). During the scene, feminist porn does not depict any non-consensual sex acts or vastly different power dynamics common to see in mainstream porn (Steber, 2020). Feminist porn instead ensures that the consent from the actors and the consent throughout the scene provides empowerment to all involved, regardless of any differences (Steber, 2020). This is not to say that feminist porn consists of “vanilla” porn. There are productions of kink and BDSM feminist porn that ensure that consent is present through all aspects of filming. As with all scenes produced in feminist porn, limits and boundaries are set in advance and whilst filming. Additionally, the emphasis is less on genital-focused aspects seen in mainstream porn, but more on the connection between the actors (Steber, 2020).

Should we all be watching feminist porn?

The goal of feminist porn is to represent the female sexual experience that is overlooked in favour of the male experience in mainstream pornography. For those who are underrepresented in the media, feminist porn is a welcome advance in the realm of pornography as it provides representation of minority groups while representing various experiences neglected in mainstream pornography. In terms of who should watch feminist porn, it varies on preference, subjectivity and availability. Feminist porn has worked to emphasize the female sexual experience, and although there has been progress to diversify actors in the porn industry, misrepresentation, or lack of representation may occur. The represented sexual experiences may also hold aspects of sexuality that do not align with everyone’s definition of feminism. Finally, due to the amount of feminist pornography in comparison to mainstream pornography, it may be hard to find the specific sexual scenes one craves (Corsianos 2007). Yet, if you are more concerned with consent and the ethical aspects of pornography, feminist porn might be the one for you. Feminist porn ensures that values and beliefs are not compromised when consuming pornographic materials by regarding ethics and consent as the highest priority. Overall, it is not a question of if we should all be watching feminist pornography but whether or not mainstream porn should adopt the progressive practices integral to its mission.

Feminist porn uses the female gaze to capture and portray the feminine sexual experience overlooked in mainstream porn. Feminist porn also focuses on diversity, authenticity, empowerment, and consent, allowing for the representation of marginalized groups. From the consent process on and off camera to the less aggressive and more sensual portrayal of sex, feminist porn ensures that the dominant, heterosexual male experience is not the only one highlighted in pornography. Feminist porn has allowed the field of pornography to include the viewpoints, wants and needs of many more individuals, yet there is still much more that must be accomplished. The porn industry must reevaluate the negative stereotypes, expectations and sexual experiences it promotes and emphasize the importance of consent, representation and safety in pornography. In tandem with feminist porn, this can allow for a more welcoming, safe, inclusive and healthy environment for sexual expression. 

Sonya Gill (she/her), BAH Psychology Class of 2025, Queen's University

References

Altmann, G., & Altman, G. (2022, April 20). What Is The Female Gaze? The Female Gaze.

Retrieved November 12, 2023, from https://www.thefemalegaze.com/what-is-the-female-gaze/

Brehas, A. (2021, September 22). ,. , - YouTube. Retrieved November 12, 2023, from      https://archermagazine.com.au/2014/12/feminist-pornography-beyond-the-male-gaze/

Corsianos, M. (2007). Mainstream pornography and "women": Questioning sexual agency.

Critical Sociology, 33(5), 863-885. https://doi.org/10.1163/156916307X230359

Steber, C. (2020, July 28). Sex Experts Explain Everything You Need To Know About

Feminist Porn. Bustle. https://www.bustle.com/wellness/feminist-porn-sex-experts-differs-mainstream

Stewart, R. S. (2019). Is Feminist Porn Possible? Sexuality and Culture, 23(1), 254-270.

https://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-018-9553-z