European Endometriosis Awareness Week is coming soon. Endometriosis affects around one in ten women, so it is important to learn more about this disease and continue research to improve the daily lives of women affected by it.

To mark the occasion, Inserm invites you to rediscover several articles published in recent years.

What is endometriosis?

Endometriosis is a disease characterized by the abnormal presence of tissue fragments similar to the lining of the uterus outside the uterine cavity. To improve the care of patients suffering from this condition, researchers are trying to better understand the mechanisms of this disease and its links to infertility.

Read about (only in French) : Endométriose

Portrait of Ludivine Doridot, researcher on endometriosis

As part of a project funded by the European Research Council, Ludivine Doridot is analyzing the menstrual blood of women with endometriosis to discover diagnostic and prognostic markers for the disease, as well as new treatments.

Read the portrait : Ludivine Doridot: making strides in endometriosis

The “Sacred Feminine” to combat endometriosis, really?

Canal Détox revisits the issue of concerns surrounding certain alternative therapeutic approaches that women suffering from endometriosis may resort to.

Read Canal Détox (only in French): Le « Féminin Sacré » pour lutter contre l’endométriose, vraiment ?

2023 Science and Society-OPECST Award: Profile of Marina Kvaskoff

Marina Kvaskoff has devoted her energy and career to studying endometriosis. Her determination to bring this condition out of obscurity earned her the 2023 Science and Society-OPECST Award.

Read the portrait (only in French) : Marina Kvaskoff, Prix Science et société-Opecst 2023

ComPaRe Endometriosis: how to improve care from the patients’ perspective

“If you had a magic wand, what would you change about your care?” 1,000 participants in ComPaRe’s citizen science study shared their ideas to help define a care model that is better suited to patients’ experiences.

Read the press release (only in French): ComPaRe Endométriose : comment améliorer la prise en charge du point de vue des patientes

Inserm, a key player in women’s health research

As part of France 2030, Inserm has been entrusted by the French government with leading a research program (PEPR) entitled “Women’s Health, Couples’ Health.” Its main objectives are to advance research in the fields of infertility and endometriosis and to further structure the French community around these fields. To this end, the program is organized around two areas: one dedicated to infertility and the other to endometriosis.

Since its launch, the program has enabled the creation and funding of a multidisciplinary research consortium dedicated to endometriosis, with a budget of €4.8 million. In addition to the multiple projects included in this consortium, the PEPR has supported the research projects of young researchers (five doctoral students and one postdoctoral fellow) working on this topic.

This extensive program also includes the collection and interpretation of data generated from six existing national cohorts to learn more about the frequency, risk factors, and consequences of endometriosis at all stages of the lives of women affected by the condition. The data collected will lead to the largest epidemiological study on endometriosis in the world and the first ever prospective population-based cohort study in this field.