Across Wales, thousands of young people experience severe period pain
or menstrual symptoms, yet only around one in ten seek support from
a healthcare professional. Here, Dr Becky Anthony discusses the launch
of MENSTRUATE, a study that aims to support young people and their families to talk about menstrual health and navigate healthcare.
For many young people, severe period pain, heavy bleeding, irregular cycles, and other menstrual health problems are still dismissed as “normal,” misunderstood, or simply not talked about. These experiences can often delay diagnosis for conditions such as endometriosis or PCOS, as well as disrupting school, friendships, confidence, and overall wellbeing.
Through my work at DECIPHer and the work of Women’s Health Research Wales, I see how often young people are left to navigate these challenges alone. Families play a crucial role in helping young people understand what’s happening in their bodies, decide when to seek help, feel supported to seek support and supported when symptoms become difficult. That’s why we’re launching MENSTRUATE – a new study designed to help families talk more openly about menstrual health and to support young people to get the help they need.
What inspired this research study?
This study has been shaped strongly by the Welsh Government’s Women’s Health Plan and Period Dignity Strategic Action Plan, both of which identify menstrual health as a key priority. Across Wales, thousands of young people experience severe period pain or menstrual symptoms that affect their daily lives, yet research suggests that only around one in ten seek support from a healthcare professional. Many don’t know which symptoms are typical, feel embarrassed raising concerns, or worry that they won’t be taken seriously.
‘Our aim is to create an intervention which is practical, empowering, and grounded in lived experience.’
I was also influenced by findings from the Severe Period Pain Is Not Normal (SPPINN) study, led by Dr Robyn Jackowich at Women’s Health Research Wales. This research showed just how important family communication is. Some young people described feeling believed and supported at home, while others felt their symptoms were minimised or misunderstood. These early experiences often shape whether someone seeks help or continues to struggle in silence.
This research also resonates with my own lived experience. I was diagnosed with PCOS in my early twenties and endometriosis at the age of 37, after a long delay that may have affected my long-term outcomes. I continue to experience daily pain, fatigue, and other symptoms. Looking back, I believe that part of the delay in getting a diagnosis was due to the normalisation of women’s pain. It wasn’t until I opened up to my friends about passing out and vomiting in pain every month that I realised my experience wasn’t typical. That realisation has stayed with me and strongly motivates my work.
MENSTRUATE builds directly on these insights. Our aim is to create an intervention which is practical, empowering, and grounded in lived experience.
What the MENSTRUATE study will do
MENSTRUATE is a mixed‑methods project that draws on multiple types of evidence:
- National survey data (School Health Research Network) to understand which young people who experience severe period pain seek help – and who doesn’t
- Existing interviews from the SPPINN study to deepen our understanding of barriers within families
- Co‑design workshops with young people, parents/carers, healthcare professionals, and community organisations
Together, this will help us develop a family‑focused intervention that supports more open conversations, improves confidence in recognising symptoms, and helps families navigate healthcare together.
We aren’t creating a one‑size‑fits‑all solution – we’re building something shaped by the people it’s meant to support.
Who’s involved in MENSTRUATE?
I (Dr Rebecca Anthony, DECIPHer) lead the study, supported by a multidisciplinary team at Cardiff University including:
- Dr Robyn Jackowich, a researcher in women’s health and co‑lead of the SPPINN study
- Professor Jacky Boivin, Director of Women’s Health Research Wales
- Dr Hayley Reed, specialist in co‑production and youth engagement
- Dr Honor Young, Deputy Director of the School Health Research Network
- Dr Richard Morey, expert in statistics and linked‑data analysis
- Dr Henrietta Graham, a Systematic Reviewer for the Specialist Unit for Review Evidence (SURE)
And crucially, the team also includes two public research partners – a young person and a parent with lived experience in addition to a public advisory group of experts in the field.
Co‑produced from start to finish
We will also work closely with organisations across Wales, including those supporting:
- Ethnic minority young people
- Disabled young people
- LGBTQ+ young people and families
- Communities with social or language barriers
This ensures the intervention reflects the realities of those too often under‑represented in menstrual health research.
What we hope to achieve
By the end of the project, MENSTRUATE will deliver:
🌟 Better understanding of where inequalities lie
Insights into who is being missed or dismissed, helping shape future services and policy.
🌟 A co‑produced, family‑focused intervention ready for testing
Clear, practical tools that help families talk about menstrual health and seek support earlier.
🌟 Resources that can be shared widely
Easy‑to‑understand materials for young people, families, schools, charities, and healthcare professionals.
What’s next?
Over the next two years, the team will be working with young people, families, schools, and health professionals across Wales to design, shape and refine the intervention. We’ll share updates, insights, and opportunities to get involved as the project develops.
As part of the wider movement to improve menstrual and reproductive wellbeing in Wales, I am also a founding member of the newly launched EMPOWER Network, which brings together researchers, clinicians and people with lived experience to transform endometriosis care across Wales. New EMPOWER Network launches to transform endometriosis care in Wales. – Population Data Science
Together, we can break down stigma, strengthen family conversations, and ensure that young people’s menstrual health is taken seriously.
Get involved
If you’re interested in learning more about this research, please email Dr Rebecca Anthony, Anthonyre@cardiff.ac.uk
Funders
The MENSTRUATE study is funded by Health and Care Research Wales.
