Beyond The Invisible

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Rankin turns his lens on endometriosis in new exhibition with Standard Life and Endometriosis UK

·       Internationally-renowned portrait photographer Rankin has teamed up with life savings company Standard Life and charity Endometriosis UK to shine a light on endometriosis with the ‘Beyond the Invisible’ exhibition. 

·       Julia Bradbury and Emma Barnett are just some of the women photographed for the exhibition, to be shown in London (21 -28 March) and Edinburgh (1-8 April).

·       87% of women with endometriosis say it has impacted their long-term financial well-being.

·       Part of Standard Life’s aim to support those suffering with invisible illnesses.

Internationally-renowned portrait photographer Rankin is unveiling a new exhibition – Beyond the Invisible - which shines a light on endometriosis. In conjunction with Standard Life’s partnership with Endometriosis UK, the exhibition will explore the lives of those suffering from the condition, which affects as many as one in ten women worldwide. 

The series of videos and photographs features intimate portraits of fifteen women and men who have a relationship with this invisible illness in the hope of making it ‘visible’ to the public. Rankin’s subjects for the exhibition include endometriosis sufferers from all walks of life, including TV presenter Julia Bradbury and BBC 5Live presenter Emma Barnett, as well as professionals who support sufferers through their work. 

Endometriosis is a long-term condition where tissue similar to those lining the womb grow in other places, such as the ovaries, fallopian tubes, bowel and bladder. It can have a significant impact on sufferers, many with different experiences - such as excruciating pain and infertility - which has far reaching effects on all aspects of their lives, socially and professionally. 

Diagnosis for endometriosis in the UK currently stands at seven and a half years on average, meaning that women who are suffering from it are left untreated for a lengthy amount of time during which the disease may develop. The symptoms of endometriosis mean that those with it are often required to take time off work, severely affecting their earning potential and financial stability. 

Nearly nine in ten (87%) women with endometriosis believe the condition has impacted their long-term financial situation according to research from Standard Life at the recent Endometriosis UK Conference[1].  Endometriosis affects 1.5 million women in the UK and is reported to cost the economy £8.2 billion[2].

Rankin commented; “I didn’t know a huge amount about endometriosis until Standard Life approached me about collaborating on this project for their Invisible Illnesses campaign – I just couldn’t believe that one in ten women is living with this; the excruciating pain and the way it negatively affects basically every aspect of their lives. Their relationships, careers and finances suffer due to this sometimes-debilitating condition. I hope this exhibition can almost make tangible the invisible agony of endometriosis, which is so hard to understand if you are not affected”.

Barry O’Dwyer CEO of Standard Life Savings said: “The average diagnosis time in the UK for endometriosis is seven and a half years. By partnering with Endometriosis UK, Standard Life aims to raise awareness to ensure sufferers receive a faster diagnosis and therefore faster treatment in the future.
 

“For many, planning for the future is challenging enough without the added complication of an invisible illness. This campaign is about getting comfortable having difficult conversations so that everyone can access the support that they need.”

Emma Cox, CEO of Endometriosis UK said: “Delayed diagnosis can have devastating effects on women's quality of life. We are delighted to be partnering with Standard Life and impressed with their determination to raise awareness and reduce diagnosis times, helping improve the lives of future generations of women.”

The ‘Beyond the Invisible’ exhibition will be at La Galleria Pall Mall, 5b Pall Mall, 30 Royal Opera Arcade, London, SW1Y 4UY from 21-28 March, open to the public from 11am-5pm.

The ‘Beyond the Invisible’ exhibition will be at Stills Gallery, 23 Cockburn Street Edinburgh, from 1-8 April, open to the public every day from 11am – 5pm.

ENDS

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Notes to Editors

Standard Life

At Standard Life, we’ve been helping customers with their life savings for nearly 200 years. 

Today the Standard Life brand is trusted by over 4.5m customers, helping them to manage their life savings so that they and their families can enjoy a better future. 

Customers come to us through advisers, through their employers and direct to Standard Life. 

We know that customers need more support than ever to make important financial decisions, so we use our expertise to help them get good advice and make better financial choices for their future. 

Through Standard Life Assurance Limited offer a range of high quality products for workplace pensions, personal pensions, savings, investments and retirement.  These are sold in the UK, Ireland, Germany and Austria. Standard Life Assurance Limited is owned by Phoenix Group and uses the Standard Life brand under licence from the Standard Life Aberdeen Group.

Ultimately we want to help customers make good choices with their life savings, whether they are saving throughout their working lives, enjoying financial security in retirement or planning to pass wealth on to loved ones.

We believe that experience matters, customers need us and together we will succeed. Collectively we believe this means that there’s a lot to look forward to. 

The information here is accurate as at February 2019. The value of investments can go down as well as up, and could be worth less than originally invested.

Endometriosis UK

Endometriosis UK is the leading national charity dedicated to providing support and information for women who have the condition. We work to increase understanding of endometriosis through campaigning, awareness-raising initiatives and research. We offer a wide range of advice and support, including a helpline, information leaflets and local support groups. These services are run by volunteers, all of whom have been affected by the condition. 
 

Endometriosis is a gynaecological condition where tissue similar to the lining of the womb grows in other areas of the body, most commonly in the pelvic region. This tissue responds to hormones in the same way as the lining of the womb but, with no outlet, it can cause inflammation, scarring and adhesions, leading to severe pain and many other symptoms. 

An estimated 1.5 million women in the UK suffer from endometriosis, that’s 1 in 10 women from puberty to menopause – although the impact may be felt for life. Symptoms include severe pelvic pain, irregular periods, pain during or after sex, painful bowel movements, pain when urinating, fatigue and infertility. It can affect all women and girls from puberty to menopause, regardless of race or ethnicity, and can have a lifelong impact. Approximately 176 million women and girls suffer from endometriosis worldwide. 
 

Individual women can suffer a range of symptoms including severe and chronic period pain, pelvic pain, heavy or irregular periods, fatigue and lack of energy, depression and feelings of isolation, pain on sexual intercourse and fertility problems. The symptoms experienced will depend on where the endometriosis is growing, so vary women to women. 
 

There is no definitive cause for endometriosis and the only conclusive way to determine if a woman has endometriosis is through laparoscopic surgery, usually done under general anaesthetic. 
 

Research by Endometriosis UK (Diagnosis Survey, 2015) shows that it typically takes over seven years for a correct diagnosis to be made. During this time women may suffer agonising pain each month which impacts on their lives, relationships and ability to work. 

There is currently no cure. Treatments including drugs, surgery and complementary therapies can be used to help manage the pain, reduce the severity of symptoms and improve the quality of life for a woman living with the condition. 
 

Endometriosis costs the UK approximately £8.2bn per annum in lost working time and healthcare costs. (www.endometriosis-uk.org/endometriosis-facts-and-figures)

[1]Data source: The Endometriosis UK Conference Survey, from a sample size of 112. November 2018. 

[2]Data source www.endometriosis-uk.org/endometriosis-facts-and-figures