More than half of women say periods are negatively affecting their lives but take two years to seek medical help, a report warns.
Embarrassment, stigma and not being listened to means millions are still ‘suffering in silence’ despite treatments being available.
Half of women said their period symptoms have been dismissed, despite possible impacts on their health, wellbeing, education, careers and relationships.
One in four said they felt dismissed by healthcare professionals and a similar number by their partner or a male family member, according to the survey of 3,000 people.
Others worried their careers would be at risk if they took time off for debilitating symptoms while more than a third of men survey admitted they would be hesitant to promote someone who frequently took time off as a result.
It comes after the Women and Equalities Committee of MPs concluded that many girls are leaving school not knowing what constitutes a ‘normal’ period.
The charity has launched a new period symptom checker, which can draft a letter for patients to give to their GP to help open discussions about symptoms.
The hard-hitting report from the Committee said that ‘medical misogyny’ is leading to women living with unnecessary pain for years as reproductive conditions go undiagnosed.
Professor Dame Lesley Regan, chairwoman of Wellbeing of Women, said it was ‘shocking’ many women and girls feel were being left to endure painful and heavy periods.
Wellbeing of Women said many women are putting up with disabling levels of pain and heavy bleeding, with many an average of two years before seeking help.
Dame Lesley, who was appointed as the country’s first ever Women’s Health Ambassador under the Tories, said: ‘It is shocking that women are still suffering severe period pain and heavy bleeding in silence.
‘A variety of medical treatments could be offered to girls and women with these distressing conditions.
‘We hope that our new Period Symptom Checker will encourage women to speak up and seek help for their period problems.
‘It aims to promote better engagement with GPs and other community healthcare professionals by creating a letter that outlines how their symptoms are affecting their everyday lives.’
The charity has launched a new period symptom checker, which can draft a letter for patients to give to their GP to help open discussions about symptoms.
It warned better education about menstrual health is urgently needed to encourage women to seek treatment, which could include an appointment with their GP or community healthcare professional, or better self-care.
Dr Michael Mulholland, honorary secretary at the Royal College of GPs, said: ‘It’s never easy to hear when any patient reports not feeling as though they have been listened to.
‘We want all women to feel confident about turning to their GP for timely and appropriate care.
‘Women’s health is a key part of the RCGP curriculum that all GPs in training must demonstrate competence of before they are able to practise independently as a GP, and we will continue to support initiatives like Wellbeing of Women’s Period Symptom Checker to raise awareness and challenge the normalisation of period problems.’
