Blog post by Anne Connolly
Let’s start #talkingperiods to remove stigma and raise awareness
Menstrual health plays an important role in the lives of women of all ages. Even though periods affect women everywhere many of us are still uncomfortable talking openly about what it means for us. Stigma around discussing what are considered ‘women’s problems’ and a lack of awareness about what is ‘normal’ menstruation for each woman often leads to women feeling isolated and living with conditions such as heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB) for longer than they should.
HMB is a common condition affecting one in five women, but we frequently hear about the suboptimal treatment that women receive throughout their pathway of care. There are multiple reasons for this. Lack of patient and clinical awareness coupled with a shortage of clinicians specialising in women’s health and fragmented commissioning are just some that the Menstrual Health Coalition’s report on heavy menstrual bleeding identifies.
This is why it is important to talk openly about women’s health issues and in particular menstruation to remove the taboo and stigma that is associated with something that is a natural part of a woman’s life cycle.
It is with this in mind that the Menstrual Health Coalition (MHC) set to work. In our inaugural work stream, the MHC conducted an inquiry into HMB. This highlighted the high prevalence of stigma associated with the condition, with respondents scoring 8 out of 10 on average (with 10 being the highest level of stigma on the scale). It was shocking to hear that this stigma and lack of awareness and knowledge was preventing women from finding out about what a healthy period looks like and thus, when to seek help. This is exacerbated by a lack of reliable information and publicly available resources. This means that even when women eventually seek information about HMB they may not be signposted to accurate, evidence-based information that will enable them to make an informed choice about the treatment they think is right for them.
However, I am encouraged by recent movement that aim to de-stigmatise menstrual health. As a member of the steering committee, I am proud of the work of the MHC shining a light on issues around menstrual health by engaging with relevant stakeholders to stimulate the debate and bringing to the fore what have traditionally been ‘secret women’s business’. We hope that through this platform we can take debate to the next stage where we can start seeing visible progress in health outcomes for women everywhere.
If you use Twitter you can follow Anne on @DrAnneConnolly and The Menstrual Health Coalition on @MH_Coalition
Dr Anne Connolly
The Royal College of General Practitioners' Clinical Champion in Women's Health
Member of the Menstrual Health Coalition's Steering Committee