SWHR Urges Congressional Leadership to Prioritize Endometriosis Research Funding

SWHR sent a letter to House and Senate leadership this week in support of endometriosis’ inclusion as an eligible condition under the Department of Defense’s Peer-Reviewed Medical Research Program (PRMRP) for fiscal year (FY) 2021. The PRMRP supports research across the full range of science and medicine, with an underlying goal of enhancing the health, care, and well-being of military service members, veterans, retirees, and their family members. Endometriosis was named as an eligible condition in both FY 2018 and FY 2020 Congressional report language. This opportunity for investment in endometriosis research through the PRMRP must remain available.  

Endometriosis is a chronic inflammatory disease that occurs when tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows elsewhere in the body. The disease, which affects about 1 in 10 reproductive-age women, can cause symptoms like infertility, pelvic and back pain, painful periods, painful sex, and intestinal problems. The disease is also costly, with estimated health care expenditures for endometriosis at $69.4 billion per year in the United States. Despite its prevalence and potentially severe effects on women, their families, and society, endometriosis is not well known or well understood.

In large part, this is due to limited research investment in the biological basis of endometriosis, innovative diagnostic methods, and minimally invasive, fertility-preserving treatments. Improving federal investment in biomedical research will help reduce the disease’s cost to our health care system, and improve quality of life for patients living with this diagnosis. 

READ THE LETTER

SWHR sent a letter to House and Senate leadership this week in support of endometriosis’ inclusion as an eligible condition under the Department of Defense’s Peer-Reviewed Medical Research Program (PRMRP) for fiscal year (FY) 2021. The PRMRP supports research across the full range of science and medicine, with an underlying goal of enhancing the health, care, and well-being of military service members, veterans, retirees, and their family members. Endometriosis was named as an eligible condition in both FY 2018 and FY 2020 Congressional report language. This opportunity for investment in endometriosis research through the PRMRP must remain available.  

Endometriosis is a chronic inflammatory disease that occurs when tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows elsewhere in the body. The disease, which affects about 1 in 10 reproductive-age women, can cause symptoms like infertility, pelvic and back pain, painful periods, painful sex, and intestinal problems. The disease is also costly, with estimated health care expenditures for endometriosis at $69.4 billion per year in the United States. Despite its prevalence and potentially severe effects on women, their families, and society, endometriosis is not well known or well understood.

In large part, this is due to limited research investment in the biological basis of endometriosis, innovative diagnostic methods, and minimally invasive, fertility-preserving treatments. Improving federal investment in biomedical research will help reduce the disease’s cost to our health care system, and improve quality of life for patients living with this diagnosis. 

READ THE LETTER