Nine in 10 women don’t know signs of heavy periods, research says

As few as one in ten women can pinpoint signs of heavy menstrual bleeding, as one of the UK’s top women’s health doctors says women and girls were “suffering in silence” from period problems, despite the availability of potential treatments.

Research by the charity Wellbeing of Women found that one in two women (51%) said their period negatively impacts their life, and the same proportion avoid exercise when on their period while nearly three in five (57%) experienced problems at work because of their period.

A Censuswide survey of 3000 people, commissioned by the charity, found that half of women also said their period symptoms had been dismissed, and just under a quarter said they felt their symptoms had been dismissed by a healthcare professional.

On Tuesday, the charity launched a new period symptom checker to help women and girls understand more about their menstrual cycle, which could help women talk to their GP about receiving better treatment.

The checker, which takes just four minutes to complete, asks various questions about health and reproductive symptoms, and at the end of the checker drafts a letter for women to give to their GP which can help open discussions about symptoms.

Wellbeing of Women said many women are "putting up with" disabling levels of pain and heavy bleeding, waiting for an average of two years before seeking help.

Professor Dame Lesley Regan, who was appointed as the first-ever Women's Health Ambassador for England under the Conservative government and is the chairwoman of Wellbeing of Women, said: "It is shocking that women are still suffering severe period pain and heavy bleeding in silence.

"A variety of medical treatments could be offered to girls and women with these distressing conditions.

"We hope that our new Period Symptom Checker will encourage women to speak up and seek help for their period problems.

"It aims to promote better engagement with GPs and other community healthcare professionals by creating a letter that outlines how their symptoms are affecting their everyday lives."

Read full story

Source: The Independent, 11 February 2025