Bindi Irwin's Endometriosis Experience Has Made Her A Women's Health Advocate

Wildlife conservationist and personality Bindi Irwin has had a complete transformation since fans met her as the daughter of the late Steve Irwin, a.k.a. "The Crocodile Hunter," in 2000. But behind maintaining Australia Zoo, carrying her father's legacy, and the occasional dance/musical project, Irwin was fighting a painful battle with endometriosis. In March 2023, she posted an Instagram photo from the hospital, opening up about her journey for the first time. "They found 37 lesions, some very deep & difficult to remove, & a chocolate cyst. @seckinmd's first words to me when I was in recovery were, 'How did you live with this much pain?' Validation for years of pain is indescribable," she wrote.

When Irwin revealed her diagnosis, she also began her advocacy for women's reproductive health. Through podcasts and morning shows, she discussed the dismissal and "medical gaslighting" she faced for years despite her debilitating pain. She let women know their pain is real and urged medical professionals to take their patients' concerns seriously. Her advocacy earned her the honor at the 2024 EndoFound's Blossom Ball, where she told the crowd that she would make it her life's mission to fight for those who are on their own battle with the disease. "I will spend the rest of my life trying to raise awareness and hopefully help others who are fighting insurmountable personal battles with endometriosis ... This disease takes away so much and can feel impossible to overcome," she said during her speech.

While endometriosis isn't actually rare among women, the World Health Organization states it takes women 4 to 12 years to be formally diagnosed — Bindi Irwin spent 10 years fighting for her diagnosis. Early on, she described pain, nausea, and fatigue as symptoms she faced daily, even when she didn't have her period. She explained to OG Magazine in 2025, "Looking back now, from my very first period, it wasn't normal. The snowball effect was tremendous, my symptoms continued to worsen after every cycle." Each time she would speak to doctors about her diagnosis, they would often tell her it was normal, and her frustration only grew as all of her testing came back normal. "Every test, every scan that I went in for came back completely clean," she shared with Good Morning America in 2023, "I was healthy. Nothing was wrong, which was just so strange. It was this feeling of devastation because there was no answer." 

It wasn't until she had her daughter Grace, whom she referred to as her "free-range kid," that her disease took a turn. After pregnancy, her symptoms worsened, and she found herself unable to get off the floor, crying from the pain – and the way it prevented her from being present with her family. Two years after her daughter's birth, Irwin found Dr. Seckin in New York City, who performed her first surgery, finally validating what she's known all along.

Since her initial surgery in 2023, Bindi Irwin has said her quality of life drastically improved in the years following. "It's night and day ... it's completely different. I am a new person and every day it seems to get better after surgery," she told Good Morning America. In 2025, she shared an Instagram photo with her husband Chandler Powell, celebrating her first hike in years, something she wasn't able to do anymore because of her endometriosis. "A day spent hiking over 10 miles, across 3 mountains with my best friend ... endometriosis took away so much. I cried quite a few happy tears," she wrote.

However, it wasn't all smooth sailing, as in May of the same year, she underwent emergency surgery after once again experiencing excruciating pain. This time, Dr. Seckin removed 14 new lesions, an inflamed appendix, and a large hernia caused by childbirth. Although the urgent matter caused her to miss the Steve Irwin Gala in Las Vegas, it was her doctor's efficiency and attention to the situation that helped Irwin receive the care she needed without waiting, something she advocated for, not only for herself but for women everywhere. She honored Endometriosis Awareness Month in 2026 with Instagram photos from both of her surgeries as she urged her followers "to remember this invisible disease each and every day. To lend support, compassion and grace towards the millions who suffer. It's up to all of us to raise awareness, not just for endometriosis but for women's health as a whole."