Endometriosis might be diagnosed by a blood test for hormone differences, in response to a brand new study from the University of Edinburgh.
The study, which researchers consider could change how the painful condition is diagnosed and treated, checked out hormone levels within the blood of 159 women with confirmed endometriosis and 57 women without the condition.
“These findings mark a big breakthrough in our understanding of endometriosis,” Dr. Douglas Gibson, the study lead, said in a press release.
“Traditionally seen as an oestrogen-driven disorder, our research challenges this view by showing different androgen levels within the condition. We’re optimistic that this recent insight will result in earlier diagnosis and the event of progressive recent treatments for those affected by endometriosis.”
Scientists found a greater variety of a “previously neglected group of androgens” identified as “so-called male hormones” in those with endometriosis.
Because of this, a “distinct hormone fingerprint” was noted in those with endometriosis, with the various androgen levels getting used to distinguish between those with and without endometriosis.
Get weekly health news
Receive the newest medical news and health information delivered to you each Sunday.
Greater than 95 per cent of endometriosis patients were then accurately identified, in response to the study’s findings.
The findings provide “crucial recent insights into the essential role of androgens in the event of endometriosis, and will also offer a possible route for future therapeutic targets,” the study states.
Endometriosis affects an estimated 10 per cent (190 million) of reproductive-age women worldwide, in response to the World Health Organization (WHO). The Endometriosis Network Canada also says the condition affects at the least one in 10 women in Canada, equalling almost two million Canadians.
Nonetheless, it often takes seven to 10 years to receive a correct diagnosis, partly because of “lack of know-how and the normalization of menstrual pain,” Endometriosis Canada states.
Endometriosis symptoms include chronic pelvic pain, painful periods, pain during or after sex, infertility or difficulty conceiving and gastrointestinal symptoms comparable to bloating, constipation or diarrhea that might be heightened during menstruation, in response to Endometriosis Canada. Not everyone experiences the identical symptoms, with the severity of symptoms not at all times correlating with the extent of the disease.
Currently, endometriosis can only be diagnosed through laparoscopic surgery, “a sort of minimally invasive surgery where the surgeon makes incisions–small cuts–within the abdomen,” the Endometriosis Network Canada states. A surgeon then uses the incisions to insert a tiny camera and surgical instruments into the pelvis to detect the endometriosis.
An identical study published in April 2026 from Oxford University suggested that a non-invasive, specialized SPECT-CT scan could help give women an earlier diagnosis and explanation for his or her symptoms.
© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.