Scientific Collaboration in Women's Health from L'Oréal Türkiye and EndoTürkiye

The Women's Health Research Network, launched through the collaboration of L'Oréal Türkiye and the Endometriosis Research and Solidarity Association (EndoTürkiye), has brought together 102 academics and researchers from 17 different fields of expertise. Supported within the scope of L'Oréal Türkiye's "For Women in Science" program, which has been running for 24 years in collaboration with the Turkish National Commission for UNESCO, the platform aims to strengthen scientific research and interdisciplinary knowledge sharing in women's health.

Established to advance scientific research in the field of women's health and to increase knowledge sharing among different areas of expertise, the Women's Health Research Network addresses women's health with a multidisciplinary approach. Supported as part of the collaboration launched during L'Oréal Türkiye's 40th anniversary in Türkiye, the platform brings together obstetrics and gynecology specialists, endometriosis researchers, oncology specialists, mental health professionals, radiologists, molecular biologists, physicists, and experts from the fields of genetics and biomedical engineering.

The platform aims to increase the visibility of scientific studies on women's health, enhance collaboration among researchers, and facilitate access to scientific research and expert opinions for those seeking reliable information.

102 Researchers from 17 Fields of Expertise Joined in the First Month

Data on the first month of the Women's Health Research Network revealed that the platform attracted interest from researchers across different disciplines. Within one month, 102 academics and researchers from 17 different fields of expertise joined the network. Since its launch, the platform has been visited 1,259 times, while 14 scientific studies and expert opinions have been shared.

"We Will Strengthen Research and Knowledge Sharing in Women's Health"

İrem Karaoda Tanrıkulu, L'Oréal Türkiye Corporate Affairs and Engagement Director and Country Sustainability Leader, drew attention to the importance of supporting scientific research in women's health and bringing different disciplines together in her evaluation of the collaboration.

Tanrıkulu made the following statements:

"While sustaining the For Women in Science program for 24 years, we have focused each year on how we can take our support further and how we can create new opportunities for women by harnessing the power of science. In our 40th year in Türkiye, we are advancing this approach with a new collaboration. With the Women's Health Research Network, which we support in collaboration with EndoTürkiye, we aim to make under-researched women's health issues and unmet needs visible, to enable different disciplines to work together, and to ensure scientific knowledge is shared more quickly. In the long term, we want to contribute to earlier diagnosis, more effective approaches, and solutions that will improve women's quality of life."

"We Aim to Bring Together the Knowledge of Different Disciplines in Women's Health"

Prof. Dr. Bahar Yüksel Özgör, Co-Founder of the Endometriosis Research and Solidarity Association (EndoTürkiye), Obstetrics and Gynecology Specialist and Biomedical Engineer, addressed the importance of scientific collaboration in the field of women's health.

Noting that endometriosis affects millions of women worldwide but that significant difficulties can be experienced during the diagnosis process, Özgör stated that studies conducted in Türkiye also show that women have to consult multiple physicians before reaching a diagnosis, a process that can take years.

Özgör continued her evaluation as follows:

"In order to better understand issues related to women's health, it is of great importance to draw on the knowledge and experience of different fields of expertise. As EndoTürkiye, with the Women's Health Research Network that we launched in collaboration with L'Oréal Türkiye, we aim to bring researchers together on a common platform, facilitate the sharing of scientific knowledge and accelerate studies, and contribute to reliable information on women's health reaching wider audiences."

The Need for Research in Women's Health Continues

The limited resources allocated to scientific research in the field of women's health highlights the need to strengthen research activities and knowledge sharing in this area. According to an analysis by the US National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, only 8.8 percent of the US National Institutes of Health's research grants in the 2013-2023 period were allocated to women's health research. Although the institutes' total budget increased, the share of women's health research within the grants declined.

Endometriosis, which affects approximately 190 million women worldwide, is one of the significant examples that highlights the need for research and awareness in women's health. According to a study conducted in Türkiye with the participation of more than 15,000 women, women diagnosed with endometriosis consult an average of four different physicians before reaching a diagnosis. Approximately four years pass between the first hospital visit and diagnosis.

63 percent of the women who participated in the study stated that their pain and symptoms were not believed, while approximately 78 percent stated that they experienced economic hardship due to treatment costs.

These data demonstrate the importance of addressing women's health issues, particularly endometriosis, more comprehensively through scientific studies and of bringing different fields of expertise together. The Women's Health Research Network, launched through the collaboration of EndoTürkiye and L'Oréal Türkiye, also aims to strengthen knowledge sharing among researchers, bring visibility to scientific studies, and draw attention to unmet needs in the field of women's health.