Description

A saliva test for the early and reliable diagnosis of endometriosis.

Endometriosis affects about 10% of women in the UK. It potentially affects all women and can present from adolescence but currently takes on average nine years from the first symptoms to a clinical diagnosis.

To order this test you will need to complete a short online consultation to check your eligibility. Please request a consultation and complete the contact form and we will send you the consultation to complete online.

• Non-invasive saliva test in the pathway for early diagnosis of endometriosis
• Overall accuracy of around 96.6% for detection of endometriosis
• A clear positive or negative result
• The potential for earlier diagnosis
• The ability to detect all forms of endometriosis
• A completely non-invasive saliva sample — no surgery required
• Discreet service

Before ordering this test, you must complete a short online consultation to check your eligibility. This will be reviewed by our prescriber and if approved you can proceed to buying this test

What is Endotest?

Ziwig Endotest® is a non-invasive saliva test designed to help diagnose endometriosis early and with a high degree of reliability. Rather than relying on surgery, it works from a simple saliva sample that you provide using an easy-to-use collection kit.

The test examines genetic material found naturally in saliva and looks for a specific pattern, or “signature,” linked to endometriosis. It then gives a clear positive or negative result, helping reach answers sooner.

Endotest® was developed by Ziwig, a French company focused on women’s health, and combines two advanced technologies: next-generation human RNA sequencing and artificial intelligence.

Who is it suitable for?

Ziwig Endotest® is validated for women between 18 and 43 years of age who are experiencing one or more symptoms associated with endometriosis. Please complete the online consultation before ordering your test to check your eligibility.

It may be especially helpful if you have been living with unexplained pelvic or menstrual symptoms and are looking for clarity without waiting for, or undergoing, surgery. Because endometriosis can begin in adolescence and take years to identify, the test can be a valuable step for anyone whose symptoms suggest the condition.

It is important to know that Endotest® is not intended to replace pelvic medical imaging. If endometriosis is confirmed, imaging such as ultrasound or MRI is still needed to describe, map and classify the lesions so that your care can be planned. Endotest® is best thought of as a fast, reliable first step toward answers, used alongside traditional diagnsotics tests with the guidance of your healthcare team.

How does it work?

The process is straightforward and can be completed without any procedures or hospital visits for sample collection:

1. Collect your sample. You provide a saliva sample at home using a sample collection kit we send to you.
2. Send it to the laboratory. The sample is processed at a specialist laboratory.
3. Advanced analysis. Using next-generation RNA sequencing, the laboratory reads thousands of tiny genetic markers (called microRNAs) in your saliva. Artificial intelligence then interprets this data to detect the signature associated with endometriosis.
4. Receive a clear result. You are given a straightforward positive or negative result.

Because it relies only on saliva, the test avoids the discomfort, risk and recovery time associated with surgical diagnosis.

This test does not include interpretation of your results.

What is Endometriosis?

Endometriosis is a chronic inflammatory condition in which tissue similar to the lining of the womb grows in places outside the uterus. These growths, known as lesions, can trigger ongoing inflammation, pain and scarring, and may affect fertility and overall quality of life.

Endometriosis affects around 10% of women in the UK — roughly 1.5 million people — and an estimated 190 million women of reproductive age worldwide. It can affect anyone who menstruates and often first appears in adolescence.

Endometriosis has historically been difficult to diagnose. On average, it takes around nine years from the first symptoms to a clinical diagnosis which means many people live with symptoms for years before receiving answers.

The symptoms of Endometriosis

Endometriosis can present in many different ways, and symptoms vary from person to person. You may wish to consider a test if you experience one or more of the following:

• Chronic pelvic pain
• Painful periods (dysmenorrhoea)
• Pain during or after sex (dyspareunia)
• Pelvic pain outside of your period
• Pain that feels like sciatica
• Pain in the right shoulder during menstruation
• Blood in the stool or urine during menstruation
• Difficulty getting pregnant (infertility)
• Pain when passing stools or urinating
• Alternating diarrhoea and constipation

The advantages of Endotest®

For a long time, the “gold standard” for diagnosing endometriosis was laparoscopy — keyhole surgery performed under general anaesthetic to look for lesions directly. While accurate, it is invasive, carries the usual risks of surgery, and often involves long waits for an appointment.

Imaging methods such as transvaginal ultrasound and MRI are also used, but they can miss lesions or misjudge the extent of disease, particularly in earlier or subtler cases.

Endotest® offers a different route. As a saliva test, it is:

• Non-invasive — no surgery, no anaesthetic, no recovery time
• Fast and simple — a straightforward sample rather than a hospital procedure
• Highly accurate — in research, the saliva signature has shown lower rates of misclassification than imaging when compared against surgical confirmation
• Comprehensive — able to detect all forms of endometriosis

Endotest® is designed to complement rather than replace traditional diagnostic pathways, helping to reduce reliance on surgery for diagnosis and to reach answers more quickly.

The science behind Endotest®

Endotest® is built on the discovery that endometriosis leaves a detectable “fingerprint” in the body in the form of microRNAs — small molecules that help regulate how genes behave. People with endometriosis show a distinctive microRNA pattern in their saliva.

To read this pattern, the test uses next-generation RNA sequencing to capture a vast amount of genetic data, and artificial intelligence to interpret it and identify the endometriosis signature with precision.

In clinical research presented at a women’s health conference, the salivary microRNA signature achieved:

• Overall accuracy of around 96.6%
• Sensitivity of 97.3% (its ability to correctly identify those with endometriosis)
• Specificity of 94.1% (its ability to correctly identify those without it)
• Positive predictive value of 98.2%
• Negative predictive value of 91.3%

When compared against surgical confirmation, the saliva signature showed substantially lower rates of misclassification, underestimation and overestimation than imaging using ultrasound, MRI, or both.