Join us in Driving Personalised Care in Endometriosis

Dear friends and supporters,

As the initial project within the Alliance for Women’s Health Research (AWHR), we are seeking support for a doctoral project at the University of Derby to improve lives of women living with endometriosis-associated chronic pain and aims to provide the essential research foundation for intervention-development that integrates pharmaceutical approaches with whole-person therapies to balanced pain management options: maximising patient outcomes and quality of life.

Why This Research Matters

Endometriosis is a condition affecting 1 in 10 women within their reproductive age.

Endometriosis significantly impacts different aspects of patients' lives, causing chronic pain, severe menstrual cramps, painful urination and defecation, and infertility. These symptoms strain their social and work lives, relationships, daily functioning, and overall quality of life.

Endometriosis' cause and development are unknown and therapeutic approaches are limited to medical treatments although many women experience pain during or after medical treatment. This is likely to be because current treatments are not integrated with whole-person care options and often fail to address the cognitive and psychological aspects of chronic pain that can hugely alter someone’s perception of the world around them and impact on quality of life.

There's a critical need for integrated, personalised solutions that integrates and balances pharmaceutical options with whole-person care to maximise patient outcomes and quality of life.

Our research goal

The goal of this research is to understand the psychological factors and cognitive biases influencing how women with endometriosis experience and process chronic pain. This foundational knowledge will inform the development of personalized pain management strategies and whole-person care options, improving treatment adherence and enhancing the overall quality of life for women with chronic pain.

How Your Support Will Help

All donations are welcome and will directly fund research, including £15,000 for the first year of this PhD study. Funds raised beyond £15,000 will support remaining years of the PhD, then ongoing research and future projects in women's health as decided by the Alliance that you can be part of.

Impact of your contribution

By supporting this research, you are helping to address a crucial and often missed aspect of therapeutic treatments and pain management regimes focusing on understanding the psychological and cognitive aspects of chronic pain. Your support will pave the way for integrated care solutions that enhance treatment effectiveness and quality of life for women.

Thank you for joining us in making a difference