On Feb. 20, the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecologists published its first clinical guidance on diagnosing endometriosis, a chronic inflammatory disorder that affects 1 in 10 women of reproductive age.
On average, patients wait four to 11 years after experiencing symptoms to receive a diagnosis, according to the ACOG. To reduce this diagnostic delay, the organization recommends a physical examination or assessment of symptoms to provide a presumptive diagnosis of endometriosis.
The guidance aims to shorten the diagnostic delay and prompt faster treatment.
“While patients are waiting for a diagnosis, they can experience disease progression, onset of new symptoms, further decline in quality of life and increasing healthcare costs,” the ACOG said in a news release. “The traditional reliance on surgical findings” — such as results from a pelvic laparoscopy — “to diagnose endometriosis is an important contributor to diagnostic delays.”
Diagnoses for the disorder increased 32% in recent years, from 24.9 diagnoses per 10,000 patients in 2017 to 32.8 in 2024, according to a study conducted by Epic Research.
Access the new guidance here.
