It has recently been announced that the Scottish government and Wellbeing of Women are partnering to fund research into a potential new Endometriosis treatment. This would involve funding a trial later this year in to the effectiveness of the drug, dichloroacetate, in managing pain for women with Endometriosis. 

Why is this so important? 

There are a couple reasons why this new research is great news for women’s health. 

1. Reduction in pain

• Most importantly, this new treatment has the potential to reduce chronic pain for women with Endometriosis. 1.5 million women in the UK are estimated to have Endometriosis and it is unacceptable that there are so many women suffering in silence. A drug that offers the potential to reduce this pain can be truly life-changing for so many women, and so if of course brilliant news. 

2. Women’s health is massively underfunded, so this is a step in the right direction. 

• There is shockingly little research done in to female-specific diseases, and the effects of drugs on the female body in general (for more information — see our recent blog post on the gender health gap). 
• For example, there have been no new treatments for Endometriosis in the last 40 years — which is simply astonishing! 
• Therefore the £250,000 investment into research that has the potential to positively impact the lives of 1 in 10 women, is of course a step in the right direction. 

3. The commitment from the Scottish Government

• This research is in part funded by the Scottish government, so sends a really great message out to demonstrate to women that their health needs are being considered, but also sets a good example for other governments to start to take notice. 

• The Scottish government has set out a Women’s Health Plan — so this commitment to women’s health is something that we only want to see more of!  

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Jessica Hobbis

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