Severe period pain is having a significant impact on women at work, the health secretary has said as the government reveals its women’s health priorities for 2024.
Speaking at the Women’s Health Summit at the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists in London to mark the second year of the government’s Women’s Health Strategy for England, Victoria Atkins said that menstrual problems, women’s health research and support for domestic and sexual abuse victims were among the government’s main focus areas in 2024.
She said that, for most women, period symptoms were “an extra thing we have to think about” and “annoying at times”, but were not “life-impacting”.
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However, for some girls and women, their periods are “a time of severe pain and exhaustion which they come to dread because of the impact it has on their lives”.
“Painful periods and conditions such as endometriosis can stop girls and women from living their lives to the full – preventing them from going to school or to work, playing sport, from meeting their friends, or even starting a family,” she said.
The Office for National Statistics has been asked to investigate the employment impact of period problems and endometrosis, a painful condition where tissue similar to the lining of the womb grows in other places.
“This is a groundbreaking piece of work and is part of the government’s commitment to ensuring women can lead full and fulfilling careers,” Atkins said.
Last year the CIPD found that two-thirds of women feel their periods had a negative impact on their work, with 12% stating their career progression has been affected.
The 2024 women’s health priorities for England have been developed following a call for evidence last year, which received responses from more than 100,000 healthcare professionals, women’s health champions and other stakeholders.
The priorities include:
- providing better care for menstrual and gynaecological conditions by rolling out women’s health hubs, providing new guidance for health professionals and continuing to improve information and support for women suffering from heavy periods and endometrosis.
- expanding women’s health hubs, working towards the aim of establishing one hub in every local area ths year
- ensuring training and support systems for victims of sexual abuse and domestic violence work effectively
- improving maternity care, by offering every woman who gives birth a comprehensive check-up with their GP within eight weeks.
Minister for women’s health Maria Caulfield said: “Helping women and girls who suffer from bad periods can make a huge difference to their lives, education and careers. And any woman who has experienced trauma after giving birth – either mentally or physically – will know the impact it can have on all aspects of her life.
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“These are issues that impact women but they should not be seen as ‘women’s problems’ – it is an everyone problem. We are doing more to put these issues on the agenda and keep them there, to close the gender health gap once and for all.”
