Anna Wilken, model and influencer, has endometriosis. In an interview, she talks about her pain, hate on the internet and the feeling of not being taken seriously despite her chronic illness.
Ms. Wilken, you have been speaking openly about your endometriosis for five years, including on Instagram, where you are followed by almost 500,000 people. When the topic came up in an editorial meeting, her name came up after a few minutes. Are you aware of your fame as an endometriosis educator?
I’m glad that people connect me to the topic. Education is important to me, which is why I’m willing to make certain sacrifices for it. I invest my free time, which many people are not aware of. And I also make myself vulnerable by revealing private things.
Hardly anything is as private as an illness or diagnosis. Why did you go public with this?
