Understanding endometriosis underfunding and its detrimental impact on awareness and research

In this article, we investigated the funding of endometriosis compared to irritable bowel syndrome and diabetes in a Danish setting, similar to a previous comparison conducted in the US 18.T h es i g n ificant underfunding of endometriosis perpetuates a cycle of knowledge gaps, suffering, and missed opportunities for scientific advancement. To address this urgent issue, we must prioritise endometrio sis research and advocacy efforts, allocating resources commensurate with the disease ’s prevalence and impact. By raising awareness, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration, and investing in innovative research initiatives, we can pave the way for a brighter future for those affected by endometriosis. It is time to recognise endometriosis as a global health priority and take decisive action to drive positive change. Only through collective effort and investment can we unravel the enigma of endometriosis and improve the lives of millions worldwide. Data availability No datasets were generated or analysed during the current study. Ulrik Bak Kirk1,5 ,A n n eS ofie Bank-Mikkelsen1,5,D o r t eR y t t e r1, Dorthe Hartwell2,H e n r i kM a r s c h a l l1, Mette Nyegaard3,M i k k e lS e y e r - Hansen4 & Karina Ejgaard Hansen1 1Department of Public Health, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark. 2Department of Gynaecology, Fertility and Obstetrics, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark. 3Department of Health Science and Technology, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark. 4Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark. 5These authors contributed equally: Ulrik Bak Kirk, Anne Sofie Bank-Mikkelsen. e-mail: [email protected] Received: 20 September 2024; Accepted: 17 December 2024;

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FEMaLe Project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program (ID: 101017562). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. Author contributions U.K. generated the initial idea, design, and methodology, performed the analyses, wrote thefirst draft of the paper, and reviewed the manuscript drafts. A.M. contributed to the initial idea, design, and methodology, reached out to the foundations, performed the analyses, and reviewed the manuscript drafts. D.R., D.H., H.M., M.N. and M.H. reviewed the manuscript drafts. K.H. contributed to the initial idea and reviewed the manuscript drafts. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript. Competing interests The authors declare no competing interests. Additional information Correspondence and requests for materials should be addressed to Ulrik Bak Kirk. Reprints and permissions informationis available at http://www.nature.com/reprints Publisher’sn o t eSpringer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial- NoDerivatives 4.0 International License, which permits any non-commercial use, sharing, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if you modified the licensed material. You do not have permission under this licence to share adapted

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