As a woman in her 30s I have first-hand experience of being systematically dismissed when raising concerns about my reproductive health, eventually being diagnosed with endometriosis seven years after I first told the GP something was wrong. Trying to get your reproductive health taken seriously in this country takes years of perseverance, assertiveness and resilience that takes a toll on your mental health, let alone the struggles dealing with the physical symptoms, which often include chronic pain. Yet I suspect the sentiments behind it remain – that poverty is inevitable, even if not specifically ordained by God these days. Vote Green Party and ‘waste your vote’ while the forests continue to burn and the ice melts. Advertising helps fund Big Issue’s mission to end povertyReader-funded since 1991 – Big Issue brings you trustworthy journalism that drives real change.