A Bronx state senator and a reality TV chef teamed up Monday to raise awareness for endometriosis.

Endometriosis typically causes painful cramps, a long or heavy period and lower back or abdominal pain. The disorder occurs when tissue that normally lines the inside of the uterus, the endometrium, grows outside the uterus.

Padma Lakshmi, of "Top Chef," says she has been a victim of the disorder.

"I suffered about a week every month. All of my life, from the time I was 13," she told News 12.

According to a survey conducted by state Sen. Jeffery Klein (D - The Bronx), 70 percent of teenagers around the state of New York have no idea what endometriosis is.

His office secured a $250,000 grant for the Endometriosis Foundation of America. It will fund interactive workshops, like the one at the Kips Bay Boys and Girls Club in the Bronx, and throughout the state.