Menstrual health and wellbeing
Most girls, women and those registered female at birth will be having periods by the time they are 12 years old, with some experiencing menstrual problems such as pain, heavy bleeding and mood changes.
This page provides information on menstrual health and wellbeing and our work to raise awareness of menstrual health issues.
The following information is based on the lived experiences and priorities expressed to us by our community. If you need medical/health advice, please contact a GP or medical professional. Read our medical disclaimer
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.
We need to:
- Coproduce resources and training for school staff, so that menstrual health can be openly discussed, problems identified and support and signposting offered.
- Ensure better training is delivered to healthcare professionals so that we avoid running the risk of menstrual health issues being ‘normalised’ or dismissed.
- Invest in research into menstrual health conditions so that diagnosis is faster and treatment better
- Ensure that schools and workplaces co-develop and implement menstrual health policies and practices so that students and employees feel better supported.
Our champion: Molly F
As a young women’s health campaigner I see it as essential we collaborate as much as possible. FTWW has welcomed the entire Love Your Period Campaign group started by young women in 2019 with open arms, creating cooperation in Wales – for menstrual justice for all – across generations, which is vital for long-lasting change.
Our champion: Anna C
“The work Debbie and the team at FTWW do throughout Wales is nothing short of inspiring. Being Welsh, a woman and living in North Wales I turned to FTWW for answers when I was trying to navigate our healthcare system when needing medical intervention for my endometriosis. I could see and relate to the grit and determination FTWW had and still has to improving access to women’s healthcare here in Wales. That was when I knew I wanted to do more than just support from afar, but actually fundraising, contributing to focus groups.
I know first-hand how needed this work is here in Wales. Now co-founding my own charity for improving menstrual health education, I always recommend FTWW as an organisation who are passionate about helping support those who need to access women’s healthcare.”
What have we achieved?
Our campaign activity to improve awareness and support for menstrual wellbeing is extensive. Some of our achievements are outlined below.
We raise awareness through events, media, training and fundraising
- Creation of bilingual Period Myth Busters
- Delivering training to a range of organisations, in the public and private sector, on menstrual health and wellbeing, menstrual health conditions, and how to coproduce meaningful policies and practices to support employees affected.
- Supporting our volunteers to have their stories feature in the Welsh Government’s ‘Period Proud’ campaign
- Leading a campaign in Wales for menstrual health wellbeing to feature on the school curriculum. We succeeded in ensuring it sits in mandatory guidance to schools around ‘RSE’
We take part in consultations, advisory boards and co-production of healthcare
- Supporting the development of the NHS Wales 111 page on Period Pain, and the equivalent page on Community Health Pathways portal used by GPs in Wales.
- Facilitating FTWW members’ involvement in the development of the Welsh Government’s ‘Bloody Brilliant’ website
- Contributing to the British Standards Institute’s development of a Menstruation, Menstrual Health, and Menopause Standard, aiming to improve policy and practice in workplaces
- Working with the RCGP and Endometriosis UK to coproduce a Menstrual Health Toolkit for GPs
We engage directly with policy makers and researchers
- Through participating in the Welsh Government’s Period Dignity Roundtable, we have ensured that menstrual health and wellbeing across the life-course features in the national Period Dignity Strategy, relaunched in 2023 as the Period Proud Action Plan.
- Working with Cardiff University to develop a Severe Period Pain Is Not Normal (SPPINN) short training course for educators and school nurses to help them better support and signpost students
- Partnering with academics in Cardiff and Bangor Universities to develop the ongoing SPPINN Study, funded by Health and Care Research Wales to better understand and improve how we teach people about severe period pain, and provide healthcare for severe period pain across Wales
Related news and blogs
Another Positive Step for Menstrual Education in Wales
Another Positive Step Forward in Ensuring Pupils in Wales Don't Get Left Behind When it Comes to Menstrual Education FTWW is delighted to see that combined lobbying efforts around 'Menstrual Well-being on the School Curriculum for Wales' are finally taking effect....
Menstrual health stories
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Advocating for yourself or someone else
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
FTWW's bi-lingual Menstrual Wellbeing leaflet
This flyer provides a brief overview of our work in this area and why it is needed
Period Mythbusters
A booklet compiled by FTWW
Women's Health Wales: A Quality Statement for the Health of Women, Girls and those Assigned Female at Birth 2022
Read more about our recommendations to the Welsh Government in this report by the #WomensHealthWales coalition
Wales Severe Period Pain Is Not Normal (SPPINN) Study
A collaborative study where FTWW is working with Bangor University and Cardiff University
Break the Barriers: Girls’ Experiences of Menstruation in the UK
This report by Plan International “reveals a culture of stigma and silence have turned periods into a hidden public health issue – putting girls’ physical, sexual and mental health at risk.”
A Complete Guide to your Menstrual Health
Menstrual Health Project has produced this free digital resource which includes important topics such as spotting the signs of the 5 main gynaecological cancers, pelvic floor dysfunction, menopause and more.
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