Swab test revolution: New method dramatically reduces the time to diagnose Endometriosis 

A new swab test is set to offer hope for women suffering from a painful chronic condition that can cause infertility.

Endometriosis causes severe discomfort in the ovaries and other parts of the body and until now has taken, on average, eight years to be diagnosed in the UK.

But the revolutionary swab test takes just four weeks to produce a result – enabling treatment to be given early and reduce the chances of infertility.

It has been developed using micro-RNA, the same science that was used in the making of Covid vaccines.

Endometriosis causes severe discomfort in the ovaries and other parts of the body and until now has taken, on average, eight years to be diagnosed in the UK

Endometriosis causes cells similar to the lining of the womb to grow in other parts of the body, often causing severe pain.

The swab test will be available privately in the UK this month at about £1,000. But there are hopes that it will be rolled out in the NHS.

Jo Sinclair, of patient support organisation Fertility First, said: ‘It’s a very small investment for the NHS relative to the years of misery many women suffer.’