A high proportion of women are still to embarrassed or uncomfortable discussing their perios with friends, family or even the doctor, according to new research.
Health on Female First
Leaving us to belive that periods are still a taboo subject.
As a result of this though, many women may be suffering in silence with the common but little known health condition, heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB).
The survey of 2,000 women showed that nearly half rarely or never discuss the heaviness of their period with their friends or family,nearly a quarter do not feel comfortable discussing their period with their nurse or doctorand 22% would feel embarrassed discussing heavy bleeding with their doctor.
A high proportion of women in the survey ‘sometimes’ or ‘often’ exhibited two of the classic signs of HMB – changing their sanitary protection every two hours or more or ‘doubling-up’ on protection – yet 6 in 10 women did not know that HMB is a medical condition, and a quarter would not think to ask their doctor or nurse for help. What’s more, over a third of women stated that they often or sometimes had to cancel social activities or plan their activities around their periods during the heaviest days of their cycle.
“HMB is a common, treatable condition that has a profound impact on the day-to-day lives of thousands of women,” said Professor Janesh Gupta, Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at University of Birmingham, Birmingham Women’s Hospital. “The results of this survey show that periods are still very much a taboo subject to talk about and, as a result, women are not questioning the heaviness and severity of their monthly cycle, instead choosing to suffer in silence. There is a real need to de-stigmatise the subject and raise awareness of HMB as a treatable medical condition so that women are not embarrassed to come forward for help.”
The survey also asked those who had heard of the condition about the treatment options available to lighten monthly blood flow. Nearly half of women were not aware of any treatment options at all.
HMB affects 1 in 5 women of reproductive age and is defined as excessive menstrual blood loss which interferes in a woman’s physical, emotional, social and material quality-of-life, and can occur alone or in combination with other symptoms. Previous research into the impact of heavy bleeding on the lives of women showed that women with above average menstrual flow were nearly twice as likely to report that they have trouble functioning in their normal daily activities,highlighting the significant burden the condition has on women’s lives. In particular on women‘s ability to participate in social activities, the type and colour of clothes they wear, their performance at work or school and their ability to travel.
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