What is Endometriosis?
Endometriosis is a chronic disease that causes tissue to grow outside the uterus lining. Endometriosis tissue growth affects female reproductive organs and causes immense pain as the disease permeates. According to Mayo Clinic, when the disease reaches the ovaries, cysts called endometriomas may form. In the later more prominent stages of tissue growth formations of scar tissue, fibroid tissue accumulate which can eventually cause organs to stick to each other. -mayoclinic.org
Endometriosis Deserves More Attention
Endometriosis is a highly overlooked disease. It affects 10% of reproductive age worldwide. Diagnosis for this disease is very complicated, and the World Health Organization reports that the average time to diagnosis can range from 4 to 12 years. -medicine.yale.edu
What researchers are studying
Researchers are trying to find new ways of discovering endometriosis without the standard invasive procedure, and ways of identifying the disease earlier on. They are identifying genetic risk factors of women with endometriosis, and identifying overlaps between endometriosis and different diseases to possibly create another use for an already existing drug. Additionally researchers are also attempting to find better ways of care for women with endometriosis. -pmc.ncbi.nlm.
Why more research is needed
Although endometriosis was discovered over 150 years ago, it is still severely underfunded. Only a mere 0.038% of the 2022 health budget was used towards endometriosis research despite the large knowledge gaps on the topic. Diagnosis is a huge issue with endometriosis because doctors aren't likely to diagnose endometriosis, as the only way it can be confirmed is through a surgery. Treatment for endometriosis isn't specific to the disease itself, and does not address the underlying issues, and decimate additional risks like cancer.
25-50%
of women with infertility have endometriosis.
33%
of U.S. women ages 20-49 diagnosed with endometriosis reported current fertility problems.
47%
of endometriosis patients had seen five or more doctors before being diagnosed with endometriosis
