Endometriosis Fund of America is a nonprofit organization directed at combatting endometriosis. It is a disease affecting women, which expresses via the inappropriate growth of tissue that is typically found in uterus. Medical News Today is a publication by a health information company Healthline Media. Journalists of this organization convey important news regarding the industry of healthcare, which are extracted exclusively from peer-reviewed studies and experts in the field. The selective approach to the publication of news makes Medical News Today a credible source of medical news. Published on April 1, 2022, “How new endometriosis guidelines will improve diagnosis, treatment” provides insight into future corrections of Endometriosis Fund of America’s coverage of symptom recognition and treatment recommendations.
The article explores the new information provided by European researchers on the issue of endometriosis diagnosis and treatment. First, Lennon (2022) outlines the general knowledge about the disease. She describes the statistics of the affected population, common symptoms, and the time of diagnosis. Then, she refers to the new clinical practice guidelines released by the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology, which presumably improve medical approaches to diagnosing and treating endometriosis. In her conclusion, she reiterates that endometriosis is a serious medical issue requiring more research and an individual approach.
The new data change how physicians look at diagnosis, pain treatment, infertility treatment, recurrence, and adolescence. First, the primary method of diagnosis is sidelined because of the “recent advancements in imaging modalities, operative risk, limited access to highly qualified surgeons, and financial implications” (Lennon, 2022, para. 3). Second, the pain treatment method is also less prioritized due to its negative effect on the patients’ ability to conceive. The same principle is applied to the use of GnRH agonists to increase fertility due to the lack of evidence suggesting its effectiveness. Fourth, hormone treatments are now recommended to prevent a recurrence of the disease. Finally, the new guidelines emphasize the importance of ascertaining risk factors in adolescents who are especially sensitive to the loss of fertility.
The reason why this article is important for the nonprofit sector lies in the lack of certainty. The key notion about endometriosis was probably hinted at but not directly stated – the new research has not uncovered anything valuable. If anything, the only certainty the new guidelines provide is that the disease is highly dangerous and still unclear. Furthermore, Lennon (2022) explicitly states that the lack of funding creates obstacles to diagnosing this condition. This is where nonprofit efforts become imperative, as initiatives driven by enthusiasm and voluntary support are essential for solving the problem of financial deficit (Worth, 2018). Now the pressure is greater on organizations, such as the Endometriosis Fund of America, to raise public awareness.
In essence, the article does not lead to any drastic changes in the fund’s activities, as the organization is already working to achieve higher disease recognition. However, the new guidelines may change how the Endometriosis Fund of America frames this condition. If previously there were definitive ways of diagnosing and treatment, now the uncertainty is officially acknowledged. This implies that the fund will likely adopt more alarming rhetoric in disseminating information. More emphasis may be expected to be given to potential risk factors and the importance of early medical observations. While these actions may not help find a cure for the disease, they will likely raise awareness and attract more experts to solve the endometriosis mystery.
References
Lennon, A. (2022). How new endometriosis guidelines will improve diagnosis, treatment. Medical News Today.
Worth, M. J. (2018). Nonprofit management (5th ed.). SAGE Publications.