Arnaud Fauconnier and Charles Chapron published “Endometriosis and Pelvic Pain: Epidemiological Evidence of the Relationship and Implications,” henceforth “Endometriosis and Pelvic Pain,” in the journal Human Reproduction Update in 2005. In that article, the researchers studied the relationship between pelvic pain and endometriosis. Endometriosis is the growth of endometrium, or tissue that normally lines the inside of the uterus, outside of the uterus. The authors review medical studies in order to determine how much evidence exists that endometriosis causes chronic pelvic pain symptoms. Then, the authors describe specific relationships between different types of endometriotic lesions and pain symptoms. By establishing specific relationships between pain and endometriosis, “Endometriosis and Pelvic Pain” helped healthcare professionals diagnose and treat pelvic pain related to endometriosis.

In 2010, Albert L. Hsu, Izebella Khchikyan, and Pamela Stratton published “Invasive and Non-invasive Methods for the Diagnosis of Endometriosis,” henceforth “Methods for the Diagnosis of Endometriosis,” in Clinical Obstetrics and Gynecology. In the article, the authors describe how specific types of endometriotic lesions appear in the body and evaluate five methods for diagnosing endometriosis. Endometriosis is the growth of endometrium, the tissue that normally lines the inside of the uterus, outside of the uterus. The authors state that although endometriosis impacts many women, the condition is difficult to identify. They identify laparoscopy, an invasive surgical procedure, as the most accurate diagnostic method. By analyzing the effectiveness of available diagnostic methods, the authors help physicians diagnose endometriosis and increase the quality of life for affected women.

Leuprolide acetate, or leuprorelin, is a manufactured drug that has been prescribed as a treatment for endometriosis, a medical condition in which body tissue that typically lines the uterus grows outside of the uterus, since 1989. Leuprorelin is a modified version of a gonadotropin-releasing hormone, a type of hormone that helps regulate the female menstrual cycle. The drug inhibits the production of estrogen, a female sex hormone that enables endometrial gland growth. After two weeks of injections, leuprorelin stops the production of estrogen, and without estrogen, endometrial glands become inactive. That decreases the growth of uterine tissue outside of the uterus, which helps decrease the pain associated with endometriosis. Although physicians commonly prescribe leuprorelin as of 2019, women with endometriosis have reported adverse side effects and health complications.

The Vaginal Microbiome Consortium, or the VMC, established in 2007, consists of a group of researchers, clinicians, statisticians, and geneticists who study the impact of the vaginal microbiome on women’s health. Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia operates the VMC. The United States National Institutes of Health, or the NIH, funds the VMC’s ongoing project called the Vaginal Microbiome Project. Thousands of women have contributed samples for use in research studies by the VMC, which its members have used to research the communities of microorganisms that live in the vagina. A balanced vaginal microbiome can decrease the risk of preterm birth and sexually transmitted infections, or STIs, and pelvic diseases, which helps support women’s health. Researchers can use the VMC’s findings to develop genetic sequence testing for pregnant women to predict preterm birth, which accounted for 10.4 percent of live births in the United States in 2023. The VMC’s research in reproductive health has allowed physicians to prepare birth and treatment plans that improve maternal and infant health and survival.