Endometriosis is a chronic systemic inflammatory condition affecting one in every ten women. It is a leading cause of infertility in women, and yet this may be the first time you are hearing of it.
Endometriosis is a condition in which endometrial-like tissue, similar to the tissue that lines the uterus, is found outside of the uterine cavity.
It results in symptoms such as pain during or after intercourse, heavy periods, bowel problems, infertility, and chronic fatigue.
Despite this, endometriosis remains an underfunded and under-researched area in women’s health; to put that into proportion, less than one per cent of the reproductive health budget is dedicated to its research.
Despite its prevalence, several factors contribute to lengthy delays in diagnosis, with the average diagnosis taking eight to 12 years.
The gold standard for diagnosis of endometriosis is laparoscopy, which is both invasive and costly.
During a laparoscopy, surgeons insert a camera through small incisions, exploring the abdominal cavity for evidence of endometrial-like tissue in the abdomen and pelvis.
Unfortunately, MRI scans and transvaginal ultrasounds can be inconsistent, detecting some forms of endometriosis while missing superficial lesions.
Currently, there are no blood-based biomarkers that are sensitive and specific enough to reliably diagnose endometriosis, as historic underfunding has meant that research is several years behind where it should be.
Poor health prospects for a tenth of the female population are further compounded by the fact that menstrual health and endometriosis do not consistently form a mandatory component of UK doctors’ medical curriculum.
Without this, doctors currently face the harsh reality of learning on the job without any standardised training, contributing to diagnostic delay.
This means that women can be left in debilitating pain with no diagnosis or a misdiagnosis of conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome, anxiety, or fibroids.
Endometriosis UK, a leading charity for the condition, is lobbying the UK government and General Medical Council to make changes to the national medical curriculum.
Endometriosis currently costs the UK £8.2 billion annually, including healthcare, treatment, and lost work.
This is significantly disproportionate to the average of £1 million to £1.5 million per year, which goes into endometriosis research in the UK.
There is no doubt that the medical system is currently failing vulnerable women who deserve better.
The medical curriculum must be shaped by the population that it serves, a change the healthcare minister must back alongside ringfenced budgeting for research.
Without meaningful investment into research and education, the landscape of women’s health risks will remain unchanged, with millions of women continuing to endure preventable suffering.