

Imagine waking up, preparing to delightfully jump out of bed to pursue the black girl sorcery that the day has set forth for you, but you are paralyzed because there are 100 knives stabbing you in your uterus, and blood from your sacred space seems to leave you in quarts.
This traumatic reality is one that women with endometriosis struggle with for 7-9 days each and every month.
According to BlackDoctor.Org, about 10% of women in the U.S. are affected by endometriosis, so that means that about 5 million women consider physically cutting their own uteruses out of their bodies at least once a month. Endometriosis is a painful reproductive condition where the tissue that normally grows on the inside of the uterus abnormally grows on the outside, which results in painful scarring and inflammation that can yield permanent side effects.
It's estimated that 30-40 percent of women who are diagnosed with endometriosis may become infertile, one reason why many women are taking advantage of procedures like egg-freezing. This list of women includes pop singer, Halsey, who recently opened up on The Doctors about her personal experience with the painful condition. She mentioned that it is one that her mother and her mother's mother also endured.
"My whole life, my mother had always told me, 'Women in our family just have really bad periods.' It was just something she thought she was cursed to deal with and I was cursed to deal with, and that was just a part of my life."
Halsey said that the added stress from her chaotic professional life only intensified her symptoms. She was misdiagnosed a number of times before she discovered that the root of her problems was endometriosis. The singer went on to describe the time when her condition escalated and she wound up bleeding and passed out in the middle of the road, which led to her being hospitalized.
"The thing with endometriosis is a lot of it comes down to... I think doctors can tend to minimize the female experience when it comes to dealing with it."
"My tour manager had to take me to a hospital. And the whole time I was there, no one knew what to tell me. Dehydration, stress, anxiety. And I'm saying, what about my pain?"
While there are some holistic treatment options, there are no preventive measures or cures for the condition, which leaves many women playing catch-up for a week every month due to the diabolical and debilitating disease that is endometriosis.
When I was 16, I went to the doctor about my extremely painful periods and overwhelming blood flow, and he prescribed birth control that led me to develop gallbladder stones and I had to have an organ removed before I was 18. Here I am, 25 years old and doctors still have the same solution, and I ain't going for it. Halsey said that she was finally diagnosed and had surgery in 2017 and I can only imagine her relief.
"It was the relief of knowing that I wasn't making it up, and I wasn't being sensitive, and it wasn't all in my head, but it also kind of sucked to know that I was going to be living with this forever."
The "Bad At Love" singer said that she made the decision to put her foot down and become more aggressive about her treatment after a traumatic experience on stage.
"I was on tour, and I found out I was pregnant. Before I could really figure out what that meant to me and what that meant for my future... the next thing I knew, I was on stage miscarrying in the middle of my concert. The sensation of looking a couple hundred teenagers in the face while you're bleeding through your clothes and still having to do the show, and realizing in that moment... I never want to make that choice ever again of doing what I love or not being able to because of this disease."
"The sensation of looking a couple hundred teenagers in the face while you're bleeding through your clothes and still having to do the show, and realizing in that moment... I never want to make that choice ever again."
Halsey is among the women that are becoming more proactive about her condition, by considering options like egg freezing and laparoscopic surgery. She reminds us that although endometriosis can be a real bitch, we're the ones in charge of both our bodies and our quality of life.
"I'm 23 years old, and I'm going to freeze my eggs. And when I tell people that, they're like, 'You're 23, why do you need to do that? Why do you need to freeze your eggs?' Doing an ovarian reserve is important to me because I'm fortunate enough to have that as an option, but I need to be aggressive about protecting my fertility, about protecting myself."
To watch the full interview, watch below:
Featured image by Denise Truscello/Getty Images for LARAS
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Adrian Marcel On Purpose, Sacrifice, And The 'Signs Of Life'
In this week's episode of xoMAN, host Kiara Walker talked with R&B artist Adrian Marcel, who opened up, full of heart and authenticity, about his personal evolution. He discussed his days transitioning from a young Bay Area singer on the come-up to becoming a grounded husband and father of four.
With honesty and introspection, Marcel reflected on how life, love, and loss have shaped the man he is today.
On ‘Life’s Subtle Signals’
Much of the conversation centered around purpose, sacrifice, and listening to life’s subtle signals. “I think that you really have to pay attention to the signs of life,” Marcel said. “Because as much as we need to make money, we are not necessarily on this Earth for that sole purpose, you know what I mean?” While he acknowledged his ambitions, adding, “that is not me saying at all I’m not trying to ball out,” he emphasized that fulfillment goes deeper.
“We are here to be happy. We are here [to] fulfill a purpose that we are put on here for.”
On Passion vs. Survival
Adrian spoke candidly about the tension between passion and survival, describing how hardship can sometimes point us away from misaligned paths. “If you find it’s constantly hurting you… that’s telling you something. That’s telling you that you’re going outside of your purpose.”
Marcel’s path hasn’t been without detours. A promising athlete in his youth, he recalled, “Early on in my career, I was still doing sports… I was good… I had a scholarship.” An injury changed everything. “My femur broke. Hence why I always say, you know, I’m gonna keep you hip like a femur.” After the injury, he pivoted to explore other careers, including teaching and corporate jobs.
“It just did not get me—even with any success that happened in anything—those times, back then, I was so unhappy. And you know, to a different degree. Like not just like, ‘I really want to be a singer so that’s why I’m unhappy.’ Nah, it was like, it was not fulfilling me in any form or fashion.”
On Connection Between Pursuing Music & Fatherhood
He recalled performing old-school songs at age 12 to impress girls, then his father challenged him: “You can lie to these girls all you want, but you're really just lying to yourself. You ain't growing.” That push led him to the piano—and eventually, to his truth. “Music is my love,” Marcel affirmed. “I wouldn’t be a happy husband if I was here trying to do anything else just to appease her [his wife].”
Want more real talk from xoMAN? Catch the full audio episodes every Tuesday on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and don’t miss the full video drops every Wednesday on YouTube. Hit follow, subscribe, and stay tapped in.
Featured image by xoNecole/YouTube
Roscoe Dash joined xoMan host Kiara Walker to share the journey of his personal and spiritual evolution—from the party anthems that made him famous to a deeper life rooted in faith, family, and purpose. This episode offers an honest look at how the artist has grown beyond early fame, addressing fatherhood, masculinity, creativity, and healing.
Dash opened up about the internal transformation that has guided him away from chasing the spotlight and toward seeking peace. “Faith and fear can’t occupy the same space,” he said, underscoring his shift toward a more spiritually grounded life. Throughout the interview, he emphasized the importance of self-reflection:
“The most important conversations to me, honestly, outside of the ones you have with God, is the ones you have with yourself in the mirror.”
Dash is focused on the man he’s become. “I’m not the accolades I’ve achieved—I’m the person who achieved them,” he added, pointing to a broader understanding of identity and worth. A large part of that growth has come through fatherhood, especially raising daughters, which he said has deepened his understanding of love. “Love is unconditional and love loves to love no matter what,” he shared.
He also spoke candidly about the pressures of fame and its impact on creativity. “Chasing fame can kill your creativity as a musician,” he warns. Instead, his advice to other artists is simple but clear: “Keep your focus on your art form, whatever that may be, and stay passionate.”
The conversation also touches on gender dynamics and emotional safety in relationships. “Safe men make soft women. If she feels safe, she’ll melt like butter,” he said, challenging traditional notions of masculinity. Roscoe also offers wisdom on discernment and spiritual testing: “Sometimes the devil will give you what looks better than your blessing.”
Ultimately, Dash has learned to embrace peace over chaos. “All I can do is control what I can control. And that's how I respond to things and what I'm giving out,” he said. It’s a thoughtful, soulful side of Roscoe Dash that many may not expect—but one that leaves a lasting impression.
Want more real talk from xoMAN? Catch the full audio episodes every Tuesday on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and don’t miss the full video drops every Wednesday on YouTube. Hit follow, subscribe, and stay tapped in.
Featured image by xoNecole/YouTube