WIREDGOV

UKRI-backed research aims to cut years from diagnosis and help millions of women be believed sooner.

A new BBC Ideas film is spotlighting pioneering UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)-funded research that could dramatically change how endometriosis is diagnosed.

It is offering hope to millions of women who currently face years of pain, misdiagnosis and dismissal.

The short film follows women living with endometriosis and features the work of Dr Barbara Guinn of the University of Hull.

Her research is behind EndoTect, a potentially game‑changing urine test designed to detect both deep and superficial endometriosis quickly and non‑invasively.

One in 10 women

Endometriosis affects an estimated one in 10 women, yet in the UK it still takes an average of almost nine years from first presenting symptoms to receiving a diagnosis.

During that time, women are often told their pain is ‘normal’, ‘just bad periods’, or something they should learn to live with.

This delay can allow the disease to progress and cause long‑term harm.

In the BBC Ideas film, contributors describe the physical, emotional and economic consequences of those delays:

• missed work
• disrupted education and careers
• years of living with debilitating pain

The condition is estimated to cost the UK economy around £8.2 billion a year, yet diagnosis still typically relies on scans that can miss the disease or on invasive surgery.

Dr Guinn’s research aims to change that.

Transforming diagnosis with EndoTect

EndoTect is being developed as a rapid, sensitive urine test that could identify whether someone has endometriosis, and whether it is deep or superficial, at the point of care.

Crucially, it is designed to do this without the need for hospital visits, specialist involvement, invasive procedures or long waits.

The test is based on identifying specific protein changes in urine that are associated with endometriosis.

If successful, it could reduce diagnosis times from many years to just weeks, allowing patients to access support, treatment and informed choices much earlier.

Quality of life

In the film, Dr Guinn said:

Women can be in serious pain and still be told everything looks ‘normal’. We’re trying to find a way to catch endometriosis sooner, so people don’t have to spend nearly a decade waiting to be believed.

Earlier diagnosis could not only improve quality of life, but also help prevent organ damage, reduce pressure on NHS services, and support people facing fertility challenges.

More than 70% of women attending fertility clinics are thought to have endometriosis.

Backed by UKRI to turn research into real‑world impact

EndoTect is one of 48 projects backed by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) through its investment in turning cutting‑edge research into new products and services with real‑world benefit.

UKRI’s support is helping take Dr Guinn’s work beyond the laboratory, accelerating the journey from fundamental research to a test that could be used in clinics and GP surgeries.

It could ultimately change the experience of diagnosis for future generations.

The research reflects UKRI’s wider commitment to supporting innovation that addresses urgent health challenges and improves lives, particularly in areas where women’s health has historically been under‑researched and under‑funded.

Turning cutting-edge research into real-world impact

Professor Jessica Corner, UKRI Senior Responsible Officer for commercialisation and Executive Chair of Research England, said:

UKRI’s Proof of Concept funding plays a vital role in turning cutting-edge research into real-world impact.

By supporting researchers to explore the commercial potential of their ideas, it helps ensure innovations such as the rapid, non-invasive test for endometriosis highlighted in this film can move beyond the lab and ultimately benefit patients and society.

BBC Ideas: bringing research that matters to wider audiences

By partnering with researchers and funders like UKRI, BBC Ideas is:

• helping to bring complex research stories into the public conversation
• connecting science with lived experience
• showing why research matters beyond academia

Through powerful personal testimony and clear explanation of the science, the film makes visible a condition that is often hidden and misunderstood.

It will give viewers insight into how UK‑funded research could lead to meaningful change.

Investment in women’s health research

For many of the women featured, diagnosis did not ‘fix’ everything, but it did provide validation.

“I was finally believed,” said one contributor.

This BBC Ideas film reveals why belief, earlier diagnosis and sustained investment in women’s health research are so vital.

It shows how UKRI‑supported innovation like EndoTect could help ensure fewer people spend years being told their pain is normal.