Getting a diagnosis of endometriosis in the UK has long meant years of pain and uncertainty: on average, women wait close to a decade before the condition — which affects roughly one in ten of reproductive age — is confirmed. England's health service is now moving to shorten that ordeal, giving two new, non-invasive tests the go-ahead for use on the NHS.
The first, Endotest, works from a simple saliva sample. A laboratory screens it for microRNAs, tiny genetic markers whose pattern signals the likely presence of the disease. The second, EndoSure, takes a different route: after a short fast, sensor pads placed on the abdomen measure electrical activity in the gut, returning a reading in about 45 minutes.
Neither is meant to be the final word. Rather than replacing specialist care, the tests are designed to flag likely cases early and steer women toward treatment faster — reserving laparoscopy, the keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic that has long been the standard route to diagnosis, for those who genuinely need it.
Why it matters
Clinicians framed the change as a relief for patients and the system alike. "They give us answers much faster, without invasive surgery, enabling earlier treatment and freeing surgical resources for others," said gynaecologist Dr Gail Busby. Dr Anastasia Chalkidou, who helped assess the tests, stressed that cutting diagnostic delay lets women begin "earlier and better treatment quickly." For a condition long dogged by dismissal and delay, a saliva tube or a 45-minute scan offers something patients have rarely had: a quick, clear step toward being believed and treated.