Pharmaceutical company Bayer has launched a campaign seeking to increase health awareness surrounding heavy menstrual bleeding.
In the report, ‘the 2022 period perspective’ commissioned by Bayer, almost a third (32%) of women surveyed in Australia said menstruation bears a heavy load on their lives, affecting their ability to work, participate in social events, or simply maintain a normal daily routine due to feeling too fatigued.
As part of the campaign, Bayer is offering general information on heavy menstrual bleeding and a one-minute period survey to help Australians learn about their period flow and what to discuss with their doctor if they believe they have heavy menstrual bleeding.
Dr Talat Uppal is an obstetrician and gynaecologist who has experienced stigma associated with heavy bleeding firsthand with her patients: “Heavy menstrual bleeding is underdiagnosed, due in some degree to the stigma relating to women’s health issues in general.
“Women do not always volunteer the issues they are battling, especially when there is a societal view that it’s a fact of life for females.
“This could explain why the number of women seeking help for heavy menstrual bleeding is much lower than what it should be,” she says.
Due to feeling uncomfortable (19%), ashamed (7%) or embarrassed (16%) when it came time to speak to their doctor about their symptoms, almost half of women surveyed (44%) would like Health Care Professionals to proactively discuss period management systems with them proactively.
Jane English, Business Unit Head for Women’s Health and Established Products at Bayer, says: “Periods vary between individuals and without open conversations with doctors, family and friends, it’s hard to know what’s normal. What we don’t want is people suffering in silence when support is out there.
“Bayer is committed to helping women take control over their reproductive health by providing education and tools like the one-minute period survey to help Australians learn about their period flow and what to discuss with their doctor if they believe they have heavy menstrual bleeding.”
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