If you’ve ever felt unheard by a doctor, brushed off when describing your pain, or told that “it’s just part of being a woman,” you’re not alone. For millions of women living with endometriosis, the road to diagnosis is long, frustrating, and exhausting. And for Black women? It’s often an even steeper climb. But a new test, MyReceptiva™, could make the journey to answers much quicker and less painful.
Endometriosis and Black Women
Endometriosis is a condition where tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows outside it, triggering inflammation, scarring, and some serious health issues. For many women, it explains the chronic pelvic pain, infertility, and other symptoms that doctors often chalk up to something else. Yet, getting a diagnosis can take 7 to 10 years on average.
According to a study published in the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Black women are 50% less likely to be diagnosed with endometriosis than white women, despite dealing with it at similar rates.
These disparities are deeply rooted in biases in healthcare and how this condition has been studied or overlooked over the years.
Meet MyReceptiva™
Now, MyReceptiva™ is stepping in as a less invasive way to detect endometriosis, offering women the chance to get answers sooner. At $585, the test looks for the BCL6 protein, which signals inflammation associated with endometriosis. The test is simple, using a routine endometrial biopsy, with results available within a week. During the biopsy, a thin catheter—comparable in size to a spaghetti noodle—is gently inserted through the vaginal canal, passed through the cervix, and placed against the uterine lining. A suction-like technique is then used to collect cells from the lining and put them into a tube. While patients may feel temporary discomfort or light cramping for 5 to 10 minutes, most can resume daily activities within 15 to 20 minutes after a brief rest. The sample is then preserved and shipped overnight to the lab for analysis.
This procedure eliminates the need for the costly and invasive surgical procedure that has been the gold standard until now.
Endometriosis Advocacy Matters
For Black women especially, MyReceptiva™ could be transformative. Endometriosis is among the leading causes of infertility in Black women, according to the Resilient Sisterhood Project. It’s also tied to higher rates of chronic pelvic pain, conditions that have all too often gone overlooked or misdiagnosed.
By making it easier to pinpoint the problem, MyReceptiva™ could help women get referred to specialists faster and start exploring treatment options much sooner.
Dr. Mona Orady, a specialist in endometriosis care, highlights the value of this test, emphasizing how it can streamline the diagnosis process by bringing a meaningful diagnostic option into a regular doctor’s visit. That is life-changing for women who’ve spent years being told there’s nothing wrong, all while their symptoms disrupt their lives, relationships, and careers. In short, MyReceptiva™ is a game changer.
And yet, there’s still progress to be made in terms of recognizing the full impact of endometriosis.
According to WGBH News, the National Institutes of Health allocated $29 million to endometriosis research in 2023, which falls short compared to the $92 million allocated for Crohn’s disease, a condition affecting fewer people.
This gap in funding highlights the importance of tools like MyReceptiva™. Providing a reliable and accessible option, they help bridge existing challenges, empowering women to seek answers, advocate for their health, and move closer to solutions.
The truth is, endometriosis isn’t just a women’s issue. It’s a public health issue that ripples through families, communities, and workplaces. For Black women especially, who’ve faced unique barriers to care, tools like MyReceptiva™ offer a much-needed step forward. This isn’t the end for endometriosis advocacy; it’s just the beginning. This reflects the possible progress when innovation, research, and advocacy come together to prioritize women’s health.
