Diagnosis Without the Scalpel: How New Blood Tests Are Changing Endometriosis Care

By Katelyn Rutsey

When I was 13, I got my first period. I remember being told by my mom and at school that your first period will probably be very light, irregular, and not too painful. So I was less than pleased when over the next three days, my back ached, I was cramping, and exhausted. And then much to my chagrin, 28 days later, Aunt Flo came knocking on my door. I had known that my periods, from the start, were never quite normal but as the months carried on they only got worse. The cramping went from annoying to nauseating, my bleeding got heavier, and by the time that I was 15, I’d miss at least a week of school every month due to my period. My mom took my symptoms seriously from the start and took me to see my primary care physician. She was honest with me and told me that most gynecologists would just hand me birth control without trying to figure out what was wrong. So she referred me to a practice that she knew would actually investigate. About a year later, after a laparoscopic surgery, I was diagnosed with stage 3 endometriosis.

In total, it took me about 2 years to get diagnosed, but for most women it takes, on average, 7-9 years to receive a diagnosis. But why is this, and what even is endometriosis?

Endometriosis is a chronic inflammatory disease that is characterized by tissue similar to the lining of the uterus migrating and implanting in other areas of the body. This leads to pain both during and outside of menstruation, and often causes extensive scarring that can lead to infertility. It is estimated to affect approximately 1 in 9 women in the US and over 190 million women worldwide. So why then does it take 7-9 years to get diagnosed with such and common yet debilitating disease?

For one, the healthcare industry is notorious for dismissing women’s pain and assuming they are overexaggerating. Often women are told that period’s just hurt or if it bothers you so much just take birth control. Finding a doctor who will take you seriously often means devoting time and money to find someone who will help. But it’s not just bad doctors. Laparoscopic surgery is still the only definitive way to diagnose endometriosis. Imaging like ultrasound and/or MRI are unable to detect superficial peritoneal endometriosis, which is the most common type. While it can catch endometriosis related cysts and deep-infiltrating endometriosis it typically requires the technician to be specially trained in advanced techniques in order for it to be visualized. It wasn’t until March 2026 that major medical authorities even began recommending treatment based on symptoms and clinical evaluation alone. Which is a good thing, but that still can’t confirm the disease or track its progression. For decades there has been a complete lack of reliable, non-invasive tests for endometriosis.

That changed on July 24, 2025 Kephera Diagnostics released the first ever commercially available non-invasive blood test to aid in endometriosis diagnostics. It combines an immunoassay that measures two biomarkers, Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor and Cancer Antigen 125, both elevated in patients with endometriosis, and clinical data in a diagnostic algorithm.A positive result has a 100% positive predictive value, which means that it is highly reliable for ruling in the disease. A negative result however, only rules out the disease with 65-85% confidence (depending on the symptoms). Still this is a promising and valuable innovation.

A few months later, a second option arrived, another blood-test called HerResolve was released by HerAnova Life Sciences. This test measures 3 microRNAs, 3 protein biomarkers, and one steroid hormone, along with clinical information to classify disease status with 94.4% accuracy and it has diagnosed cases that were missed by imaging.

At this time neither are FDA approved, but HerResolve plans to file for FDA clearance later this year. Currently HerResolve is only available at IVF and fertility clinics across the country, but Farideh Bischoff, chief medical officer and head of diagnostics for HerAnova, says that she visualizes “it going beyond IVF, certainly. Not just going into OB-GYN centers, but even into family practice and pediatricians, because endometriosis has been seen in young girls in adolescence”. This is so important. Over 70% of women diagnosed report living with daily, unresolved pain and one study estimates that women are absent or less productive at work or school for 10.8 hours a week due to endometriosis pain. Earlier diagnosis changes outcomes! With wider availability and FDA clearance the diagnostic timeline could shrink to as little as six months to a year. Hopefully then, the next generation won’t have to spend years fighting to be heard.