The government is targeting 2025 for the provision and reimbursement of a saliva test to detect endometriosis, Catherine Vautrin, Minister of Labor, Health and Solidarity, said on Thursday.
“
This is our objective
”, but “
this requires a final validation by the High Authority of Health
”, declared Catherine Vautrin on France 2. Before arriving at the reimbursement of the saliva test from the French company Ziwig, “
which costs about 1000 euros
” according to the minister, we must wait for the results of a new clinical study on 3000 women.
After this campaign, the government will be able to “
release the budget which will allow tomorrow 10,000, 20,000 women to be able to benefit
” from the test, “
reimbursed
”, she said.
A chronic disease affecting around one in ten women, endometriosis usually results in severe pain during periods and/or fertility problems.
Even today, it is diagnosed, often by chance, with an average delay of seven years.
Also read: Guillaume Tabard: “Vautrin, Oudéa-Castéra, Dati, the bad trials of the left against three ministers”
A “promising” and “innovative” project
In January, the HAS judged the test “
promising
” and “
innovative
” on the basis of a study involving 1,000 women.
But she also underlined the need to “conduct additional studies” before deciding on the advisability or otherwise of long-term reimbursement.
One of the main associations of endometriosis patients, ENDOmind, was “
delighted by the desire to be able to benefit French women from this French innovation through reimbursement for the test
”, but considered it “
dramatically undervalued
” the figures of “
3,000 tests reimbursed in 2024 and 10 to 20,000 tests in 2025
”.
“
The test must be made accessible to all people who need it, particularly those in medical deserts and without access to imaging
,” she pleaded in a press release.
On endometriosis, Catherine Vautrin also announced “
educational work with businesses
” and “
a national information campaign
”.
For companies, the ministry then specified to AFP, "
a guide will be published
" on Thursday to help company managers to "
understand and act
" and remind "
points of vigilance, such as respect for medical confidentiality, the need for to carry out awareness-raising actions to overcome the taboo and fight against stereotypes
.”
A communication campaign will be launched in France “in the coming weeks”, it was specified.