‘The 2022 Period Perspective’ Survey of 1,000+ Australian women aged 18-60.
Commissioned by Bayer; executed by Researchify.
Sydney, Australia: For 1-in-3 (32%) recently-surveyed women in Australia, menstruation bears a heavy load on their lives affecting their ability to work (40%), to participate in social events (30%) or to simply maintain a normal daily routine due to feeling too fatigued (41%).
To uncover the emotional, mental and physical burden of heavy menstrual bleeding, and its impacts on the female population, a new survey has been commissioned by leading women’s healthcare company, Bayer. ‘The 2022 Period Perspective’ Survey of Australian women aged 18-60 years old1 found that despite the high number (32%) of women who experience heavy bleeding, only 14% of the total surveyed have received a formal diagnosis of heavy menstrual bleeding (menorrhagia) from a health care professional. Of these, 27% were using a form of hormone-based contraception to manage their symptoms despite the burden of their heavy menstrual load and availability of treatment options.
THE UNSPOKEN IMPACTS OF A HEAVY MENSTRUAL BLEED
For almost a third of women surveyed (32%) their menstrual cycle may involve changing their sanitary product every hour or even less, using double sanitary protection to control a heavy flow, feeling dizzy with pale skin, and having to buy new clothing to deal with breakthrough bleeds (1-2 times per year). Additional impacts found in The 2022 Period Perspective Survey by Bayer include physical discomfort, bloating/flatulence, a loss of control over emotions, and for 65% of women, painful cramps.
Chloe Dalton, GWS Giants AFLW (Australian Football League Women) player and founder of media platform The Female Athlete Project, has felt the impact of heavy menstrual bleeding on her daily routine and career, but was often forced to ignore the issue. Chloe suffered a significant amount of nausea and pain every month during her period and took a hormone-based contraceptive alongside pain medication to reduce symptoms.
“It is a horrible feeling and not enough awareness exists on the impact heavy menstrual bleeding has not just on professional performance for an athlete, but on your normal everyday life. It felt like I was getting stabbed a lot of the time, which had a physical and mental impact on my performance. Coupling this with high intensity training, heavy menstrual bleeding is something that is very difficult to put to the side when not treated correctly,” she says.
“If you had a sore back or hamstring you would be forced to rest, yet symptoms of heavy menstrual bleeding are often ignored or not spoken about. My menstruation has had a direct impact on my career, and I would encourage everyone to proactively seek out advice from a medical professional to see how their uncomfortable periods can be better managed. My message is you are not alone, and you don’t have to live with this – women should not have to suffer through a ‘normal monthly curse’ when medical advancements can offer relief.”
AUSTRALIA’S YOUNG MENSTRUATORS MISSING OUT DUE TO MENSTRUAL LOAD
For younger people who have started menstruation, the symptoms of heavy menstrual bleeding are often worse. Women aged 18-25 are the most impacted of any demographic surveyed, with 53% feeling a heavy period impacts their ability to work as they usually would. In fact, half (50%) have wished they could take time off work due to their period symptoms.
This age group also feels emotionally isolated (37%) with almost half (49%) feeling that menstrual symptoms add to their mental load of managing work, relationships, family, and household – something that is compounded by their high tendency to skip attending their place of study (31%) and avoid or cancel social events (43%). They are also the most likely to feel that they could have undiagnosed heavy menstrual bleeding (36%), indicating the prevalence of Australians to ‘get on with it' when it comes to periods – even if the symptoms are stopping them from living a full life.
TIME TO SKIP THE BLOODY SMALL TALK, SEEK MEDICAL ADVICE
‘The 2022 Period Perspective’ survey aims to reduce the stigma of talking about heavy menstrual bleeding, so that Australians feel more comfortable discussing their symptoms with peers as well as their Health Care Professionals (HCPs) who can provide possible treatment options. Other key findings include:
- Periods are still a taboo topic: Almost 2-in-5 (37%) women talk about their periods only if they have concerns. Furthermore, 40% of those aged 46-60 don’t speak to anyone about their periods, impacting their ability to understand how their experience differs to others during the very important life stage where menopause can begin.
- Proactive discussions needed from health care professionals: Almost half of women (44%) would like Health Care Professionals to proactively discuss period management systems with them.
- Stigma and shame preventing diagnosis: For the 44% of women who would like HCPs to proactively discuss the options available to them, it is due to feeling uncomfortable (19%), ashamed (7%) or embarrassed (16%) when it came time to speak to their doctor about their symptoms, that these topics have not been previously broached.
- Suffering is seen as ‘normal’ (but it’s not!): Of those respondents who felt like they could have undiagnosed heavy menstrual bleeding, 34% have not visited an HCP about their symptoms as they feel it is not required (19%) or that they would not know what to talk about when it came to menstruation (15%).
Dr Talat Uppal is an obstetrician and gynaecologist who has experienced this 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 something we should just get on with as 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.
“We have the opportunity to improve awareness around management options for this condition and so I encourage HCPs to join me in taking a proactive approach with their patients – to help women feel more empowered and supported to share their symptoms and seek help. Heavy menstrual bleeding is a problem with many solutions, and it’s important that Australians can speak to their HCP to find the right option for them,” she concluded.
A BETTER-INFORMED BODY IS A HEALTHIER BODY
Although women are aware that options exist when it comes to contraception, 5% felt they are not very well informed of the biology of menstruation and 6% felt they knew very little or had a below average understanding of the contraception options available to them. This data indicates that the same may be true for as many as half a million Australian women . A lack of education and conversation in the general population is significantly impacting the health and well-being of our society.
'The 2022 Period Perspective’ survey by Bayer revealed over half (53%) of respondents got most of their information on menstruation from online sources, followed by doctors (50%), trusted family members or guardians (33%), and their peers (29%).
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 may have heavy menstrual bleeding.
Visit mybodymyway.com.au.to find out more.
All women who experience any of the symptoms of Heavy Menstrual Bleeding or have any concerns over their menstrual cycle should speak to a Health Care Professional and investigate their options for treatment.
EDITOR NOTES
About ‘The 2022 Period Perspective’ Survey
This survey by Bayer is an analysis of the experience of Heavy Menstrual Bleeding by Australians.
The independent survey was commissioned by Bayer and conducted by Researchify. The survey sample is 1,000+ Australians, aged over 18-60 years of age. All respondents experience menstruation and 95% identified as female/woman, 4% as people who menstruate and 1% as menstruating person. 44% of respondents have children, 68% live in metropolitan areas and 32% in regional areas.
The survey was conducted via an online quantitative survey between 26 September and 7 October 2022, with Gen-Pop data weighted to the latest population estimates sourced from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
In this survey, heavy menstrual bleeding was defined as having to change pads/tampons/menstrual cup/period underwear every hour or less and sometimes during the night.
Recommended citation: ‘The 2022 Period Perspective’ Survey. Survey of 1,000+ Australians aged 18+. Commissioned by Bayer; executed by Researchify.
About Women’s Healthcare at Bayer
Bayer is a recognised leader in the area of women’s healthcare, with a long-standing commitment to delivering science for a better life by advancing a portfolio of innovative medicines. Bayer offers a wide range of effective short- and long-acting birth control methods as well as therapies for menopause management and gynaecological diseases.
Today, Bayer continuously evaluates opportunities for further innovation in the area of women’s health, because science, solutions and education are commitments the company makes to support the individual health needs of women in various stages of life.
Additionally, Bayer intends to provide 100 million women in low- and lower-middle-income countries by 2030 with access to family planning by funding multi-stakeholder aid programs and by ensuring the supply of affordable modern contraceptives. This is part of the comprehensive sustainability measures and commitments from 2020 onwards and in line with the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations.
About Bayer
Bayer is a global enterprise with core competencies in the life science fields of health care, nutrition and agriculture. Its products and services are designed to help people and planet thrive by supporting efforts to master the major challenges presented by a growing and aging global population. Bayer is committed to drive sustainable development and generate a positive impact with its businesses. The company has operated in Australia since 1925 and has a long-term commitment to the health and nutrition of all Australians. Locally, Bayer currently employs almost 900 people across the country and is dedicated to servicing the needs of rural and remote communities. Bayer embraces and encourages its employees’ unique identities and advances a culture of inclusion and diversity across gender, LGBTQI+, generations, disability and race. For more information, go to www.bayer.com.au.
*Bayer understands that not all people who menstruate identify as women, and not all individuals who identify as women menstruate. This campaign, subsequent survey findings and brand messaging reflect the language that researchers use, with ‘women’ or ‘females’ referring to people who menstruate. Of those surveyed in ‘The 2022 Period Perspective’ survey, 95% identified as ‘female/woman’, 4% as ‘people who menstruate’ and 1% as ‘menstruating person’.
References:
(1) ‘The 2022 Period Perspective’ Survey. Survey of 1,000+ Australians aged 18+. Commissioned by Bayer; executed by Researchify.
(2) ADG, May 2022, Important considerations in patients with heavy menstrual bleeding.
(3) Australian Bureau of Statistics, March 2022, National, state and territory population, https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/population/national-state-and-territory-population/mar-2022 accessed 13 October 2022
Bayer Australia Pty Ltd, ABN 22 000 1 38 714, 875 Pacific Highway, Pymble NSW 2073.
Ph: (02) 9391 6000. Date of Preparation: December 2022 / COR-MIR-AU-0007-1