Let’s Talk About Periods

Although more than 800 million people around the world have their period on any given day, periods can still be hard to talk about openly.1 It’s important to recognize red flags when it comes to your period and uterine health.

Your Uterine Health Guide is here to help you better understand it all.

five women of different ethnicities

Your Period Health

woman surrounded by icons for markers of period health

Understand your period and how to talk about it.

Periods are different for everyone. There is a lot of misunderstanding around what is a “normal” period. Along with period stigma, or taboo, this can make it hard to know when something isn’t right.4 Heavy, painful periods could be a sign of a health problem.

Learn More

Flag Your Flow

red flag

Learn when to flag your flow and what it might mean for your health.

Have questions about uterine health? Uterine health conditions affect many people and can cause problems with your period. About 7 out of 10 women (70%) in the United States will be diagnosed with uterine fibroids by the time they reach menopause, and about 1 in 10 women of reproductive age (10%) are affected by endometriosis.6,7,8

Learn More

Talk to Your Healthcare Provider

medical center signmedical center signmedical center sign

Talk to Your Healthcare Provider

Check out these lists of useful questions.

Talking about periods can be hard. A recent survey showed that 1 in 5 women (20%) often don’t feel comfortable discussing menstrual health with their healthcare providers.4 Let’s fight period stigma—it’s time to speak up.

LEARN MORE

Find Support in
Your Community

Find Support in
Your Community

Find out more about periods and uterine health from patient advocacy organizations.

Patient advocacy organizations in this space have created resources to educate the public about periods and support women and menstruators. Learn about what these organizations are doing to bring uterine health conditions to light.

woman seeking support onlinewoman seeking support onlinewoman seeking support online

References

1. Miller SS. Putting a stop to the stigma around menstruation. HealthyWomen. Accessed February 2022. https://www.healthywomen.org/content/article/putting-stop-stigma-around-menstruation. 2. Uterine definition. Merriam-Webster. Accessed August 2022. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/uterine. 3. Global glossary for the global menstrual movement. PERIOD. Accessed August 2022. https://period.org/uploads/Global-Glossary-for-the-Menstrual-Movement-v1.3.pdf. 4. State of the cycle. Female Forward Together. Accessed August 2022. https://femaleforwardtogether.com/state-of-the-cycle/. 5. Uterine fibroids. NICHD - Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. Accessed August 2022. https://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/factsheets/uterine. 6. Stewart EA, Cookson CL, Gandolfo RA, Schulze-Rath R. Epidemiology of uterine fibroids: a systematic review. BJOG. 2017;124(10):1501-1512. doi:10.1111/1471-0528.14640. 7. Shafrir AL, Farland LV, Shah DK, et al. Risk for and consequences of endometriosis: a critical epidemiologic review. Best Pract Res Clin Obstet Gynaecol. 2018;51:1-15. doi:10.1016/j.bpobgyn.2018.06.001. 8. Fuldeore MJ, Soliman AM. Prevalence and Symptomatic Burden of Diagnosed Endometriosis in the United States: National Estimates from a Cross-Sectional Survey of 59,411 Women. Gynecol Obstet Invest. 2017;82(5):453-461. doi:10.1159/000452660. 9. Menstrual definition. Merriam-Webster. Accessed August 2022. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/menstrual. 10. Rose SL. Patient advocacy organizations: institutional conflicts of interest, trust, and trustworthiness. J Law Med Ethics. 2013;41(3):680-687. doi:10.1111/jlme.12078.