<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Ultrasound scans will now be the first step for diagnosing </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/endometriosis" rel="" target="_blank" title="endometriosis"><span>endometriosis</span></a><span> in </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/victoria" rel="" target="_blank" title="Victoria"><span>Victoria</span></a><span> but getting the right one could prove difficult.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Standard pelvic ultrasounds can miss signs of the incurable disease which affects one in seven women and girls in Australia.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>And only "a handful" of people in Australia can perform specialised endometriosis ultrasound scans.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/victoria-ses-40-000-dollars-worth-of-equipment-stolen-melbourne/48637823-174b-4978-8a27-5d0ab58cf2aa" target="_blank"><strong><span>Thieves swipe $40,000 of rescue gear from SES depot</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Rachel Hosking, 23, said her </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/endometriosis-new-treatment-pbs-ryeqo-rachel-hosking-exclusive/aefb1a31-453d-45fc-96af-fd0a3b94f150" rel="" target="_blank" title="debilitating endometriosis"><span>debilitating endometriosis</span></a><span> didn't show up on a standard scan.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>She spent five years waiting to get a diagnosis – five years of agony, of days spent bleeding on the bathroom floor wondering if death would be less painful.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Without a endometriosis ultrasound, she might still be waiting for answers today.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/health/endometriosis-ultrasound-staff-shortage-victoria-simon-gordon/2884e7af-6e70-45f8-9746-5ea6af99ccf3" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><em><strong><span>Have you got a story? Contact</span></strong></em><span> </span><strong><em><span>reporter Maddison Leach at</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="mailto:mleach@nine.com.au" target="_blank" title="mleach@nine.com.au"><strong><em><span>mleach@nine.com.au</span></em></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><h3><span>Ultrasounds for endometriosis the new standard</span></h3></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Until recently, a surgical procedure was required to confirm an endometriosis diagnosis.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Now the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RANZCOG) </span><a href="https://ranzcog.edu.au/news/australian-living-evidence-guideline-endometriosis/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" title="recommends"><span>recommends</span></a><span> non-invasive options like ultrasounds scans first.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>This week Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan announced endometriosis guidelines will be standardised in the state with ultrasounds as the first step for diagnosis.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The announcement came after </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/dr-simon-gordon-the-epworth-surgeon-accused-of-unnecessary-surgery/78c039bf-57ae-43d6-aa43-371ba09d404d" rel="" target="_blank" title="prominent surgeon Simon Gordon"><span>prominent surgeon Simon Gordon</span></a><span> was accused of performing unnecessary surgeries on young women.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Hosking, who is based in South Australia, hopes the rest of Australia follows Allan's lead.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>When she first went to a GP with endometriosis symptoms as a teen she was dismissed.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"I was medically gaslit," she told nine.com.au.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>A second GP sent her for an ultrasound, but standard pelvic scans can miss signs of the incurable disease which affects one in seven women and girls in Australia.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>When the scan came back negative Hosking feared she'd be dismissed again.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Instead the new GP suggested a specialised endometriosis ultrasound.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><h3><strong><span>Standard scans not always enough</span></strong></h3></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The standard pelvic scan typically performed in Australia only assesses the uterus and ovaries for signs of endometriosis.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Endometriosis ultrasound scans, on the other hand, assess the uterus, ovaries, and the areas in front of and behind the uterus.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>During the scan organs are moved to look for the disease in hard to reach places.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The whole process takes about 45 minutes.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/sydney-rain-downpour-weather-warnings-adelaide-australia/92b97ab6-8dc6-48b6-b8a2-8f78fab86afa" target="_blank"><strong><span>Dozens rescued from floods as rain hammers Sydney</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Research has shown these scans have a much higher level of diagnostic accuracy.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Without one an endometriosis ultrasound, Hosking may not have been diagnosed and could have gone without answers, validation and treatment for much longer.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Some women in Australia have reported spending decades trying to convince healthcare professionals to take their endometriosis symptoms seriously.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Endometriosis ultrasounds could change that.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>But these potentially life-changing scans are hard to access in Australia because there's a dire shortage of providers trained to perform them.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><h3><strong><span>Shortage of trained providers</span></strong></h3></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Professor Louise Hull, a gynaecologist and reproductive medicine specialist on Endometriosis Australia's Clinical Advisory Committee, said only "a handful" of people have been trained to provide specialised endometriosis ultrasounds in Australia.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>As a result, many women and girls are sent for standard scans that can miss signs of endometriosis.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Most of the time if you send someone for a scan [the sonographer] won't know how to do an endometriosis scan, and you won't get an answer," she told nine.com.au.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Hull and other experts welcomed Allan's announcement that ultrasounds will be the first step for endometriosis diagnosis in Victoria.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/hillary-clinton-deposition-jeffrey-epstein-investigation/82edb9b0-fa41-4f7c-8073-7aa5e8a43f44" target="_blank"><strong><span>Hillary Clinton resumes Epstein testimony after pause over leaked photo</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Jean Hailes for Women's Health CEO Dr Sarah White said Allan's move supports women with suspected endometriosis getting care better, safer care.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"And that is really important," she told nine.com.au.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>But more sonographers must be trained to perform the appropriate scans to ensure the best standard of care for women in Victoria and across the country.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"We need to upskill our radiologists and train them well," Hull said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"And we've got to upskill our GPs and have a credentialing system for them so they know where to get the scans from."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><h3><strong><span>'A whole system failure'</span></strong></h3></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>There's a two-year learning curve for sonographers training to perform endometriosis ultrasounds but Hull said emerging technologies could help slash that time.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>As could extra funding.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Endometriosis has been historically underfunded in Australia, resulting in stigma, </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/it-takes-women-7-years-to-be-diagnosed-with-endometriosis-that-could-soon-change/2f49657c-7efa-4b4b-ad71-6adae9b1c189" rel="" target="_blank" title="long diagnosis wait times"><span>long diagnosis wait times</span></a><span> (about 6.5 years on average) and limited treatment options.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/how-us-strike-on-iran-could-unfold-potential-consequences-donald-trump/58e36503-6aa8-47d3-9bc6-5d737f358328" target="_blank"><strong><span>Clock ticks down as Trump's threat to Iran nears crunch time</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="player__video-container"><img alt="" src="https://imageresizer.static9.net.au/vPX07j9WCU16mihVFcH2slZzX4o=/750x0/https%3A%2F%2Fvms-network-images-prod.s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com%2F2025%2F08%2F715112%2Fpickerimage.jpg"/></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Any other area of medicine would have had investment and research funding and would have been miles ahead of where we are [with endometriosis]," Hull said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"It's a whole system failure really."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>And training more providers to perform endometriosis ultrasounds is just the start.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>GPs need additional training and education around identifying, diagnosing and treating endometriosis based on the latest research.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>For example, Hull said they need to understand that a negative ultrasound – especially if it's a standard scan – can never rule out endometriosis.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>White added that GPs shouldn't require a diagnosis to start believing women and treating their pain.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Hosking, who is based in SA, wants to see a future where all states and territories make ultrasounds, not surgeries, the first step for diagnosing endometriosis.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/fine-for-using-mobile-phone-while-driving-australia-device-in-lap-explainer/0a66e482-73d8-4cdb-baeb-77b1cb499a44" target="_blank"><strong><span>This simple bad habit while driving could cop Aussies up to $1200 in fines</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"For about 20 years we've been told is laparoscopic surgery is the only way to diagnose endometriosis, but that is not true anymore," Hosking said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Moving away from that and having another opinion through ultrasound is something that can protect us."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><em><span>NEVER MISS A STORY:</span></em></strong><span> </span><em><span>Get your breaking news and exclusive stories first by following us across all platforms.</span></em></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><ul><li><strong><em><span>Download the 9NEWS App here via</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://apps.apple.com/au/app/9news/id1010533727" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>Apple</span></em></strong></a><span> </span><strong><em><span>and</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=nineNewsAlerts.nine.com&amp;hl=en_AU&amp;pli=1" 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