My daughter was one of thousands of Australians let down by inadequate UTI testing | Deirdre Pinto

Half of all adult women will experience at least one urinary tract infection in their lifetime, yet it remains misdiagnosed, mismanaged and under-researched

As a health policy analyst and a woman who suffered for many years with a once poorly-recognised chronic disease - endometriosis - I am dismayed to have stumbled upon another public health crisis severely impacting women's lives. Like endometriosis and the pelvic mesh scandal - to name just two women's health conditions ignored for too long - this condition is misdiagnosed, mismanaged and under-researched.

Each year thousands of Australians - mostly women - are let down by testing for a common bacterial infection, leaving them undiagnosed and unable to access effective treatment for painful, life-altering symptoms.