Surgery is currently the only way to confirm endometriosis Burger/Phanie/Science Photo Library

One in 10 women have endometriosis, but diagnosis usually takes eight years. A simple spit test could soon help women find out for themselves if they have the condition.

Endometriosis is caused by uterus cells moving elsewhere in the body and bleeding in time with a woman’s menstrual cycle. It affects 176 million women worldwide and can cause severe pain as well as infertility. The longer it takes to diagnose the condition, the more scarring takes place.

“It’s inexcusable that, for many women, those are …