New research on endometriosis is a step towards managing a long-neglected disease

The new findings are a step towards early recognition and management of the disease as well as prevention of the related complications.

2 min readSep 11, 2026 06:15 AM IST First published on: Sep 11, 2026 at 06:15 AM IST

The finding of a new genome-wide study of endometriosis, that Indian women may be genetically predisposed to the condition, trains the spotlight on a health concern that has been understudied and ignored for far too long. An estimated 10 per cent of women of reproductive age live with the severe menstrual pain, chronic pelvic discomfort and extreme fatigue that can result when the tissue lining the uterus, known as the endometrium, begins growing in other parts of the body. India alone is estimated to bear 25 per cent of the global endometriosis burden. The exact cause of the disease is not known. A cure, too, is yet to be found. But the ICMR-led study, the first of its kind in India, is part of a growing body of research on the disease. It offers a promising foundation on which new approaches to earlier diagnosis and treatment can be built.

While there is now a growing recognition of endometriosis as a major public-health concern, getting a diagnosis at all has long been the biggest hurdle for women suffering from the condition. With infertility being one of the major symptoms of the disease, many get diagnosed with endometriosis only when they have trouble conceiving. Other manifestations, especially period pain and fatigue, are frequently dismissed as normal menstrual discomfort. According to the WHO, the average time for an endometriosis diagnosis is between four and 12 years — in the time between the symptoms surfacing and the treatment beginning, the condition often worsens, leading to extensive internal scarring and organ damage.

An emerging body of research now suggests that endometriosis may be associated with a higher incidence of other immune system conditions such as lupus, multiple sclerosis and inflammatory bowel disease. In India, where awareness remains scanty, access to specialised care severely limited and population-specific research evidence meagre, the new findings are a step towards early recognition and management of the disease as well as prevention of the related complications.