New period checker could ‘open discussions’ about problems
It comes after a report concluded that many girls are leaving school not knowing what constitutes a ‘normal’ period.
Women and girls are “suffering in silence” with menstrual problems, one of the nation’s top women’s health doctors has said.
Professor Dame Lesley Regan said that women are not seeking help for severe period pain or heavy bleeding when a variety of treatments could be made available to them.
It comes as a charity Wellbeing of Women has launched a new period symptom checker to help women and girls understand more about their menstrual cycle.
The checker, which takes just four minutes to complete, asks various questions about health and reproductive symptoms.
At the end the checker drafts a letter for women to give to their GP which can help open discussions about symptoms.
In December, the Women and Equalities Committee of MPs concluded that many girls are leaving school not knowing what constitutes a “normal” period.
The hard-hitting report from the Committee said that “medical misogyny” is leading to women living with unnecessary pain for years as reproductive conditions go undiagnosed.
Wellbeing of Women said many women are “putting up with” disabling levels of pain and heavy bleeding.
It said that those who have period problems are waiting for an average of two years before seeking help.
Dame Lesley, 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.”
A new poll by Censuswide, commissioned by the charity, found that only one in 10 women can identify all the signs of heavy menstrual bleeding.
Wellbeing of Women said that better education about menstrual health is urgently needed to encourage women to seek treatment, which could include an appointment with their GP or community healthcare professional, or better self-care.
Dr Michael Mulholland, honorary secretary at the Royal College of GPs, said: “It’s never easy to hear when any patient reports not feeling as though they have been listened to.
“We want all women to feel confident about turning to their GP for timely and appropriate care.
“Women’s health is a key part of the RCGP curriculum that all GPs in training must demonstrate competence of before they are able to practise independently as a GP, and we will continue to support initiatives like Wellbeing of Women’s Period Symptom Checker to raise awareness and challenge the normalisation of period problems.”
