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Hoda Hannaway lives with the persistent pain of endometriosis.
She's among the one in seven Australian women diagnosed with the condition.
"If I can sum up that in one word, how living with endometriosis is, I would say probably horrendous, would be the glorified word. From when I was diagnosed, I'm pretty sure I had it from 12 years old, and I wasn't diagnosed until I was about 18. But that's only because it was a bit taboo in my culture to talk about period pain to even it was sort of normalised. You know, period pain was normal for for women to get."
The former Masterchef constestant has had 15 laparoscopic surgeries, and a hysterectomy.
Endometriosis occurs in women and gender-diverse people with a uterus, and occurs when tissue similar to the lining of the womb grows elsewhere in the body.
It can affect fertility and cause debilitating pain.
For many, the cost of the medication adds extra burden to the already painful condition.
"I've had to in the past, I have been on this medication for several months, and I've had to, in the past, delay buying it because of how much it costs, I know it's not great that you stop the medication and then start it again, but I pretty much couldn't do anything financially about it.”
Ms Hannaway is one of around 8,500 people hoping to benefit when the medication Ryeqo is listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme - the PBS - on May the 1st.
Ryeqo is a relatively new pain treatment for endometriosis and currently costs up to $2,700 for a year's supply.
Endometriosis Australia says the listing of Ryeqo will increase its uptake among women, especially those facing financial hardship or living in rural, remote and Indigenous communities.
Also being subsidised is the contraceptive pill Slinda, which is used by about 80,000 Australian women and costs them around $320 each year.
Under the PBS, the oestrogen-free pill will cost about $23 annually for concession card holders, or around $95 annually for general patients.
Federal Health Minister Mark Butler says the changes are long overdue.
"I've been hearing story after story from Australia's women that they feel they've just not been given the support that they need and they deserve in a whole range of areas to do with their health. Some conditions like endometriosis that affect as many as 1 million Australian women, but also health issues that don't reflect women being sick, they just reflect women being women and having responsibility for contraception, for reproductive health and choices that families will make, and also going through life cycles like perimenopause and menopause, and our government has been heavily focused on trying to catch up on those decades of neglect.”The Coalition says it should have come sooner.
Deputy opposition leader Sussan Ley says it is not good enough that the government has left women waiting for more than a year for the medication cost cuts.
"One of the drugs listed today for endometriosis, and it was actually recommended to be listed over a year ago. I believe now, I don't think it's good enough when the process is through the pharmaceutical benefits advisory committee and you know, the sign offs, if you like, to say, yes, this drug can go on the market. It is safe and it is effective. That a government would wait a year to list it? So I'm very critical of that."
Speaking to Seven's Sunrise, Mark Butler says womens’ health has been neglected by previous governments.
"Over the nine years of their government, not a single new pill, not a single endometriosis treatment, not a single menopause treatment. We obviously have to do price negotiations with the company, that's been the way the PBS has operated for 75 years, we have we've done more in the last five months for women's health in these areas than any government has done for decades."
Under the changes, women with low levels of certain reproductive hormones will have access to a combination IVF therapy known as Pergoveris.
Each unsubsidised cycle costs about $3,500.
Once added to the PBS, those eligible will be able to access pergoveris for $32 per treatment cycle from their first IVF cycle.
Previously, the treatment was only subsidised in later cycles.
Dr Petra Wale is the President of the Fertility Society of Australia and New Zealand
She hopes the changes can reduce the barriers for women going through the process.
"I think the changes that have been made are fantastic from a PBS point of view, and accessing fertility and endometriosis and a progesterone-only pill. When we say go further, we see that there is a lot of legislation and barriers to accessing fertility treatment for all australians. that's where we would like to see the health minister advocate for a national fertility plan, and reducing these barriers and allowing people to be able to access IVF if and when they need it and without breaking the bank (affordably)."]]
The medications are set to be added to the PBS in April and May.
For Ms Hannaway and the thousands of other Australians affected, the changes are a promising step towards more affordable and accessible care.
"It would definitely make it more affordable. I am excited to hear the news that it will be on the PBS, and it's not only for me, whilst it's not for every woman, but it certainly opens the doors for earlier treatment and better treatment options for women, and I'm so for that."
