Endometriosis is a chronic condition that affects an estimated 10% of women of reproductive age. It is characterized by the growth of endometrial tissue outside of the uterus, leading to symptoms such as severe pain, especially during menstrual periods, or infertility. Despite its prevalence, endometriosis is often misdiagnosed and the cause of the disease is still largely unknown, resulting in inadequate treatment and significant personal and societal burdens.

The Leopoldina International Virtual Panel Discussion brought together leading experts to explain the characteristics of endometriosis and discuss the latest findings and advances in the diagnosis and treatment of endometriosis. The panel provided a platform to exchange knowledge, ideas and perspectives on ongoing research efforts and to raise scientific and public awareness of this complex condition.

Experts to the podium:

• Professor Stacey Missmer, ScD, Professor of Obstetrics, Gynaecology, and Reproductive Biology at Michigan State University, Grand Rapids, MI, and Adjunct Professor of Epidemiology at Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, Cambridge, MA, United States
• Professor Dr Bettina Toth, Director of the Department Gynaecological Endocrinology and Reproductive Medicine at the Medical University of Innsbruck, Austria
• Professor Dr Matthias Beckmann ML, Professor of Gynaecology at Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen and Director of the Endometriosis Center at the University Hospital Erlangen, Germany
• Professor Nicky Hudson, PhD, Professor of Medical Sociology, Centre for Reproduction Research, De Montford University, Leicester, United Kingdom

This panel discussion was moderated by Dr Anna Carthaus, Deutsche Welle, and is part of the Leopoldina International Virtual Panel Series.