The Body Talks Edit · Volume 4 · Kiseau
Endometriosis · Hormonal Health · Self-Advocacy · Self-Love
This volume is dedicated to every woman navigating Endometriosis, PCOS, infertility, a miscarriage, a hormonal imbalance, and autoimmunity. Your perseverance is a testament to the strength of a woman, and that cannot go unseen.
Endometriosis affects roughly 1 in 10 women worldwide, nearly 190 million people, and yet it remains one of the most under-diagnosed, under-researched, and under-believed conditions in women's healthcare. It often takes 7 to 10 years for women to even receive a diagnosis.
Cynthia Ponce began experiencing hormonal disruptions at just 15 years old. It took years of appointments, dismissed concerns, and persistent self-advocacy before she was finally diagnosed with endometriosis. And that was not even the end of the road, in the months following a photoshoot with Kiseau, Cynthia developed a new ovarian cyst that required emergency surgery, impacting one ovary, a fallopian tube, and her appendix.
She navigated it all with a warmth and strength that stopped all of us in our tracks. This is her story.
How We Found Each Other
We met Cynthia on Instagram in November 2025. She had responded to a casting call for a photoshoot in San Francisco with photographer Maria Calderon, a woman who had connected with Kiseau a month earlier, offering to collaborate because she genuinely believed in the mission.
During casting, we learned about Cynthia's journey navigating endometriosis. Like so many women with hormonal conditions and autoimmune challenges, she had spent years being dismissed, or told her pain was simply a normal part of the menstrual cycle. It took years of recurring visits to doctors and gynaecologists before she received an accurate diagnosis.
We wanted to give her story the space it deserved. We pitched a photoshoot and mini docu-interview to Maria, and that's when we discovered something that felt like more than coincidence.
Maria herself had been diagnosed with endometriosis years earlier. At a time when there was very little awareness, she had advocated relentlessly for herself to be heard. Through radical lifestyle changes, self-care, and deep self-love, she eventually found her way back to herself, and now lives symptom free.
As Maria put it: "The universe was laying breadcrumbs before us."
"Endometriosis had taken them on a difficult path but also one that brought them closer to themselves."
— Kiseau
A Day at Sutro Baths
In December 2025, Cynthia, Maria, and Nethmie, the founder of Kiseau, met for the first time at Sutro Baths in San Francisco. It was a rare sunny day in a place known for its fog and cold winds. The ocean air was warm, and the sea breeze wrapped around them as they spent the day shooting together.
Something became very clear by the end of that day. Cynthia and Maria shared something in common that went far beyond a diagnosis. It was their sense of self-love, an energy that radiated so naturally, so quietly grounded in their own beautiful confidence.
Endometriosis had taken them both on a difficult path. But it had also brought them closer to themselves.
To listen to their bodies.
To honor their needs.
To trust their own voices.
To stand up for themselves.
After the Shoot: Emergency Surgery
Since the shoot, Cynthia developed a new ovarian cyst that required emergency surgery. The surgery impacted multiple organs including one ovary, a fallopian tube, and her appendix.
She went through it and recovered. And she did it all with an unbelievable amount of positivity, sending updates from the hospital with the same warmth and strength we had felt the day we first met her. Right after being discharged, she shared a photo her Kiseau underwear had arrived in the mail, and it gave all of us the most enormous, unexpected feeling.
It was a small thing. And it felt like everything.
The Environment Your Body Lives In
Researchers studying endometriosis are increasingly focused on environmental endocrine disruptors, chemicals that interfere with the body's hormonal signalling. These include BPA, phthalates, dioxins, PFAS, and microplastics, all of which are present in everyday products, including synthetic clothing.
Many women navigating hormonal imbalances and conditions like endometriosis naturally begin to audit what surrounds them daily. This isn't about fear or perfection, it's about reducing the invisible load on a body that is already working so hard. Common shifts include:
Switching from synthetic underwear and apparel to natural fibers such as organic cotton, bamboo, and linen.
Reducing synthetic fragrances, candles, and harsh chemical cleaning products.
Eliminating ultra-processed foods in favour of whole, nourishing foods.
Swapping conventional skincare and makeup for clean beauty alternatives.
What Cynthia's Story Asks of All of Us
There is a particular kind of exhaustion that comes from not being believed. From returning to the same rooms, describing the same pain, and being sent home with the same non-answers. Cynthia lived that for years. So did Maria. So do millions of women whose endometriosis goes undiagnosed for a decade or more.
What makes this story different isn't that Cynthia finally got answers, it's that she never stopped trusting herself even when the system failed to. That is an extraordinary form of strength. And it is, in many ways, the thread that runs through every volume of The Body Talks Edit: the insistence that a woman's body is worth listening to. Worth fighting for. Worth protecting.
The medical system has a long way to go. But in the meantime, we can do what Cynthia, Maria, Tammy, Stephanie, and Emily have all shown us, we can learn our own bodies, tell our stories loudly, and choose, in every small way available to us, to treat ourselves like we matter.
Because we do.
Common Questions About Endometriosis
How long does it take to get diagnosed with endometriosis?
On average, it takes 7 to 10 years for women to receive an endometriosis diagnosis. Many begin experiencing symptoms in their teenage years but are repeatedly told their pain is a normal part of menstruation. This delay is largely due to a lack of awareness and normalization of women's pain.
What are the symptoms of endometriosis?
Common symptoms include severe pelvic or menstrual pain, painful periods, pain during or after intercourse, heavy bleeding, bloating, fatigue, and in some cases, infertility and ovarian cysts. Many women are initially told these symptoms are normal, which significantly delays diagnosis.
Can endometriosis be linked to environmental factors?
Research is ongoing, but endocrine-disrupting chemicals including BPA, phthalates, dioxins, PFAS, and microplastics found in synthetic fabrics and everyday products are a significant area of study. These chemicals can interfere with hormone function and may contribute to the development or worsening of endometriosis.
What lifestyle changes can help women with endometriosis?
Many women navigating endometriosis reduce exposure to endocrine-disrupting products switching from synthetic to natural fiber clothing, eliminating synthetic fragrances and harsh cleaning products, choosing whole nourishing foods, and opting for clean beauty products. These changes aim to reduce the overall hormonal load on the body.
How do you advocate for yourself when doctors dismiss your pain?
Track your symptoms in detail and bring written records to every appointment. Don't accept "this is normal" as a final answer seek second and third opinions. Ask specifically about endometriosis and request a referral to a gynaecologist or endometriosis specialist. You deserve to be heard, believed, and properly cared for.
- Endometriosis
- Hormonal Health
- Ovarian Cysts
- Self-Advocacy
- Endocrine Disruptors
- Natural Fibers
- Women's Health
- Self-Love
- Cynthia Ponce
- The Body Talks Edit
The Body Talks Edit is a Kiseau series featuring real stories from real women about their health and wellness journeys. Content is for informational and community purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional regarding your individual health concerns. Endometriosis statistics sourced from the World Health Organization.