End the taboo on period problems

Professor Hilary Critchley, Professor of Reproductive Medicine at the University of Edinburgh’s Institute for Regeneration and Repair has joined forces with international colleagues to call for an end to the taboo on periods and heavy menstrual bleeding in particular. 

The article describes how Heavy Menstrual Bleeding is the major contributor to iron deficiency in girls and women of reproductive age. Some 30% of non-pregnant women worldwide have anemia. It calls for better coordinated, interdisciplinary care to optimize the health and well-being of all women. 

Professor Critchley’s research in the Centre for Reproductive Health focusses on menstruation, abnormal uterine bleeding, iron deficiency and anemia. She is interested in mechanisms, diagnosis, treatment and health impacts. She has previously published that women’s health concerns are generally underrepresented in basic and translational research and that reproductive health research has been hampered by a lack of understanding of basic uterine and menstrual physiology.

Professor Critchley also Chairs the Wellbeing of Women Research Advisory Committee. Wellbeing of Women has taken action on this issue and in February 2025, launched the online period symptom checker. In the 4 months following launch the period symptom checker has been accessed by over 25,000 people. They have also Launched their "Just a Period" campaign to tackle the taboo, get everyone talking about periods and understanding when it’s time to get help.