Menstrual health and wellbeing

Why is menstrual wellbeing important?

• In the UK, most girls, and those registered female at birth, will be having periods by the time they’re 12.
• That means 51% of the population in Wales will have experienced periods at some time or other
• Periods are a natural bodily process, but normal periods should not disrupt a person’s life
• A considerable number of women experience menstrual problems that have a negative impact on their wellbeing, but help and support is available

Some of the reasons that women may find menstruation (periods) problematic include:

• Physical symptoms such as period pain (dysmenorrhea) and heavy menstrual bleeding (menorrhagia), bloating, back and leg ache, headaches, nausea, fatigue, anaemia if having heavy or prolonged bleeding.
• Changes to mood which are linked to hormone fluctuations (premenstrual syndrome, often abbreviated to PMS) and mental health symptoms including heightened emotional and stress responses, depression, anxiety.
• Wider / social impacts such as:
  • not being able to access toilets or period products when needed can lead to feelings of shame and anxiety;
  • feeling isolated or wanting to withdraw;
  • people making fun of symptoms;
  • absenteeism or presenteeism, which is when you attend school or workplace but aren’t able to focus, concentrate or achieve as much in education or employment settings;
  • not being able to participate fully in social activities and your relationships are impacted.

Treatments are available to help manage period symptoms when they become a problem, but the type of treatment depends on your symptoms and how they are affecting your life.

A healthcare professional may suggest that you keep a diary of your symptoms and their impact. This may also help them to determine if more investigation is required to check for underlying conditions that might be contributing to your symptoms. For example, some women may be experiencing problematic symptoms due to Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), a much more severe form of PMS, or other condition such as  endometrioisis and adenomyosis.

More information about menstrual symptoms and treatments can be found at on the NHS Wales website here.

What are we calling for?

Our overall aim is to raise awareness of the importance of menstrual health and overcome the taboos that surround periods, so that women seek help earlier when it is needed

There is a lack of understanding about what’s ‘normal’ and what isn’t when it comes to period pain, bleeding, and hormone-related mental health issues.

There is also a lot of stigma around periods and their impact, which can make it very difficult to understand what’s ‘OK’ and when we need to seek support or medical advice.

Embarrassment and lack of information can lead to increased stress and anxiety for patients, and delays in diagnosing associated health conditions. This can in turn, can impact on girls’ educational attainment, their careers, and their wider health and wellbeing.

In Wales, there continues to be a huge lack of awareness and education about menstrual health and wellbeing, which means that many struggle to get the help and support they need.

• Menstrual Wellbeing is now listed in guidance to state schools in Wales, but it sits in ‘Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE)’ which suggests that periods are considered to be more about relationships and pregnancy than health. This is problematic.
• Welsh Government has developed in a ‘Period Dignity’ Strategy which originally focused on access to period products, but has been further developed to include addressing taboos, and more support for menstrual health problems and conditions across the life-course.
• Welsh Government has invested in ‘Bloody Brilliant’, a website which aims to open up conversations with young people about periods, how to manage them, and enable better support from peers.
• Despite the above, the diagnostic delay for conditions like endometriosis (often linked to periods and period pain, at least in its early stages) continues to grow in Wales, now standing at almost 10 years on average. This is partly due to lack of a diagnostic test which doesn’t involve an operation.

What have we achieved?

Our campaign activity to improve awareness and support for menstrual wellbeing is extensive. Some of our achievements are outlined below.

Menstrual health stories

Many women find it difficult to discuss health issues and seek support, even if these health issues are having a significant impact on their lives.

We're working with our community to develop tools and tips to help women to speak up, and provide guidance for people who would like to support their loved ones, friends, colleagues or patients who are living with health conditions.

Useful links and documents