Girls returns to HBO on Sunday, February 21 for its fifth season, and no one could be more excited than show creator Lena Dunham. In a powerful note posted to Facebook on Monday, February 8, Dunham explained why she won't be making press appearances to hype up the show's penultimate season.

"As many of you know I have endometriosis, a chronic condition that affects approximately 1 in 10 women's reproductive health," Dunham wrote. "I am currently going through a rough patch with the illness and my body (along with my amazing doctors) let me know, in no uncertain terms, that it's time to rest."

This isn't the first time Dunham spoke to her fans about endometriosis. Last November she wrote a powerful personal essay about living with the chronic disease (as well as obsessive compulsive disorder and anxiety) for her newsletter, "Lenny."

"The stomachaches began quickly and were more severe than the mild-irritant cramps seemed to be for the blonde women in pink-hued Midol commercials. Those might as well have been ads for yogurt or the ocean, that's how little they conveyed my experience of menstruating," Dunham revealed in her essay, titled "The Sickest Girl."

Read Dunham's full note about Girls press appearances below.

H/T Elite Daily