CERT Research Goals
Conducting endometriosis-related research is an important part of the mission of UC San Diego Health System’s Center for Endometriosis Research and Treatment (CERT).
Research goals
In general, the goals of our research are to:
- Better understand endometriosis and how it affects women, and
- Develop and evaluate promising new therapies for endometriosis
Collaboration
San Diego is a major hub for biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies. We plan to maximize scientific discovery by collaborating with those who have a similar interest in the study of endometriosis – locally and globally.
Why research is important
The Gallop Organization conducted a telephone survey of 17,927 U.S. households to identify women 18 to 50 years of age who experienced chronic pelvic pain of more than six months duration (Mathias et al., 1996).
Women reporting chronic pelvic pain were surveyed for severity, frequency, diagnosis, quality of life, time lost from work, lost productivity and health care utilization. Of the 301 women who reported a diagnosis by a physician, 25 percent reported having endometriosis.
In this study, of all the women with pelvic pain, those with endometriosis reported the most health distress, pain during or after intercourse, and interference with activities because of pain.
The authors estimated that direct medical costs for outpatient visits for chronic pain for the U.S. population of women aged 18 to 50 years to be $881.5 million per year and total direct costs (physician costs plus out-of-pocket expenses) to be $2.8 billion dollars annually.
One can only imagine the health care dollars spent on endometriosis today! Furthermore, time off from work was reported in 15 percent of this study population, and 45 percent indicated reduced productivity associated with pain. The estimated indirect costs at the time, resulting from lost time from work and decreased productivity, were calculated to be a further $553.3 million per year.
Endometriosis, as the greatest medically identifiable contributing factor to the forgoing calculated health-related costs and its impact on quality of life issues for women and their families, must be considered a significant public health problem and therefore a priority clinical and research topic.