Meet a member – A/Prof Anusch Yazdani

After completing his training at the University of Queensland, A/Prof Yazdani worked in internal medicine and general surgery at the Royal Brisbane Hospital, an area he thought he would continue to pursue. He quickly realised his passions lied elsewhere, and soon found “the best job in the world” as an O&G specialising in reproductive endocrinology, infertility and reproductive endosurgery.

“The reason why we do obstetrics is for that one incredible moment where you get to share an incomparable experience being in a room with a mum meeting her baby for the very first time. And that's an absolute kicker,” A/Prof Yazdani said.

“Fertility gives you the same sort of moment. When you're doing a scan and you are in the room with a mum meeting her, listening to the heart rate for the very first time. That experience is why I'm an O&G.”

“I wouldn't do anything other than this. This is the best job in the world. There's just absolutely nothing else that gives you the highs and sometimes the lows of this job.”

As a specialist in endometriosis and Medical Director for Endometriosis Australia, A/Prof Yazdani has witnessed the stigma surrounding women’s pain firsthand.

“We repeatedly hear young girls presenting, having to take two or three days off every month because of their periods, going to see their GPs, and the GP saying – oh, it's just period pain. You'll grow out of it. That’s not okay,” he said.

“There are such differences in pain management or pain presentation in genders. Women who present with pain are much less likely to be diagnosed, much less likely to be taken seriously, much less likely to be investigated further.

“Who would allow boys to miss three days of football practice a month? Nobody. But it's okay for girls to do that? It's just unacceptable.

“If endo was a male disease, it would be managed completely differently. It would be category one and there would be clinics on every corner to manage this.”

In the last 10 years the rate of endometriosis-related hospitalisation increased by a staggering 24 per cent. He attributes this to a difference in the way women are managing their pain and standing up for their rights.

The rate of diagnosis has also increased by 14 per cent, but the average time between the onset of symptoms and diagnosis is still between six to eight years, with surgical intervention taking even longer.

A/Prof Yazdani developed the CHARLI Health app in response to the lengthy detection rates of endometriosis that force women to deal with their pain alone, especially in regional and rural communities. It has since grown to detect polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), PMS, menopause and infertility.

“Endo runs in families, so you have the normalisation of this pain pattern because girls’ mums and sisters have also taken time off for school for all their lives. So, everybody thinks it's normal and okay to do that,” he said.

“What girls need is an independent arbiter to be able to say – actually, what you are experiencing is abnormal. And that's when CHARLI comes in.

“Young girls often tell us – I presented with PCOS, and I was just told to just go onto the pill, or I presented with heavy periods and was told to just have a baby. It'll make things better.

“This app has specifically been designed for rural and remote populations because they often have this acceptance of abnormal behaviour because they don't know any different.”

CHARLI Health has been developed with a deep consideration for women’s autonomy and access to safe, reliable, personalised healthcare.

“The idea behind it is to reduce the time interval from the onset of symptoms until first presentation, because that sits purely in the woman's own control. It's about bringing diagnostics and therapeutics into her own management repertoire,” he said.

“Australia has just granted 22 pelvic pain and endometriosis clinics. But the problem is, they've all been placed in coastal metropolitan areas. So that means that a massive amount of the population doesn't get access to those.

“GPs in rural and regional areas are fantastic, but their function is not to be women's health GPs. They're working in a whole lot of other areas. And women's health may, depending on where they work, like in Mount Isa for example, only be a small fraction of the work that they do.

“This app makes sure women anywhere in the country can access the services they need with support of credentialed and accredited healthcare professionals that specialise in women’s health.

“The app also has an AI feature where you can ask the sort of questions you wouldn't ask your mum, or you feel like you couldn't ask your GP, and it will give an appropriate response in a controlled and safe environment.”

A/Prof Yazdani clearly wears many hats, including that of a proud AMA Queensland member. Since joining in 1991, we have witnessed his tireless efforts to improve access to women’s healthcare services and influence the direction of the profession and system for the better.