Faiza Abdi
Project Coordinator, Policy Connect
Menstrual health is often treated as a narrow or early-life issue despite playing a critical role in women’s health across the life course.
From adolescence through reproductive years and into perimenopause, menstrual health shapes physical wellbeing, mental health and access to care. When overlooked, inequalities emerge early and compound over time.
Menstrual health: key entry point to improving outcomes
The Women’s Health Strategy for England (2022) highlighted how pain, heavy bleeding and irregular cycles are frequently normalised or poorly managed, delaying diagnosis of conditions like endometriosis, fibroids and polycystic ovary syndrome.
Endometriosis affects around 1 in 10 women, yet diagnosis in the UK still takes around eight years, with Black women and women from underserved communities facing longer diagnostic delays and poorer outcomes. Heavy menstrual bleeding, which can affect 30-50% of women, [RO2] can also signal underlying conditions, but access to investigation and treatment varies.
The renewal of the Women’s Health Strategy presents an opportunity to strengthen prevention, improve early diagnosis and ensure innovation supports equity.
Wider systemic pressures
Primary care is usually the first point of contact, yet workforce shortages, limited consultation time and inconsistent access to specialist training can make early identification of complex gynaecological conditions difficult. When referrals are made, around 750,000 women are waiting for gynaecology care.
The 2022 Strategy sought to improve coordination through women’s health hubs, bringing together menstrual health support, contraception, menopause care and elements of gynaecology in community settings. However, implementation varies and there is limited data on whether hubs are reducing waiting times or narrowing inequalities. If the 10 Year Health Plan is to deliver a genuine shift to community care, sustained investment in primary care capacity and diagnostics will be essential.
Femtech, including period tracking apps and digital symptom monitoring tools, could support earlier symptom recognition and greater self-management. However, uneven access risks widening inequalities.
The renewal of the Women’s Health Strategy presents an opportunity to strengthen prevention, improve early diagnosis and ensure innovation supports equity. Addressing menstrual health isn’t a niche issue — it’s fundamental to reducing inequalities and delivering lasting improvements in women’s health outcomes.
