GPs in UK urged to routinely ask women and girls about period problems

Women and girls should be routinely asked about their periods during GP appointments to help improve treatment, health campaigners have said.

Large numbers of girls get such painful and debilitating periods that they cannot eat or sleep, have to miss school or end up bedbound, according to a new survey by the leading charity Wellbeing of Women. More than 90% of those surveyed said that they had to change their plans due to heavy bleeding.

Their sometimes crippling experiences of symptoms show that current advice – for example, that period pains will “settle” as girls get older – is inadequate and needs updating, the charity said. Too many women and girls have symptoms dismissed by health professionals, it added.

The charity urged the NHS to ask girls and women about their periods routinely when they access any medical care – for example when they register with a GP, have a vaccination, or go for a general health check-up.

The findings are based on the responses of 3,001 girls across the UK aged 12 to 18, when asked by Wellbeing of Women – which is chaired by Prof Dame Lesley Regan, the government’s women’s health ambassador for England – how periods affected them.

The survey, undertaken by Censuswide, found that 97% of girls experienced painful periods, with 42% suffering “severe” pains and 20% left bedbound. It also showed the mental health impact of painful periods on teenage girls: 40% said their symptoms left them feeling unmotivated, 39% anxious, 33% depressed and 31% angry. About one in 10 (11%) said their symptoms made them feel like life was not worth living.

“Menstrual health conversations with healthcare professionals will empower young women to feel in control of their health journey, from their first period to their last,” said Janet Lindsay, Wellbeing of Women’s chief executive.

Dr Nighat Arif, a GP and Wellbeing of Women ambassador, said she had seen many women in her surgery who had waited years before seeking help for painful periods. “Even then, they faced long waiting times for diagnosis and treatment. We hope that by empowering girls early with the information, tools and resources they need to seek help, they’ll get the help sooner and not spend years suffering unnecessarily.”

Painful periods can be a symptom of endometriosis, a condition that can be debilitating. A study last month found women were waiting about nine years for an endometriosis diagnosis in the UK.

The Royal College of GPs said family doctors would talk sensitively and confidentially to girls or women worried about periods affecting their life and draw up a treatment plan. Dr Michael Mulholland, the college’s honorary secretary, said: “GPs and our teams are often the first port of call for women who have concerns about their menstrual or reproductive health, and we want all women to feel comfortable approaching us if they are experiencing any painful or difficult symptoms.”

“We recognise that painful periods can be a major source of discomfort and anxiety, and anyone experiencing this should speak to their GP or another medical professional. We will always aim to do the best for our patients, and we are highly trained to have open, confidential and honest conversations. We’ll always work to develop the best treatment plan.”

Wellbeing of Women wants to see a society-wide “normalisation” of conversations about menstrual health symptoms. Schools should offer better menstrual health education to boys and girls, ministers should launch a public health campaign to highlight period-related problems, and all employers should have a women’s health policy to help staff experiencing problems, the charity said.