Heavy periods study to create world's largest biobank

A major new research project aiming to transform care for women with heavy periods is to create the world's largest menstrual fluid biobank.

The CycleTrack study hopes to improve understanding of heavy menstrual bleeding and related conditions such as endometriosis and fibroids, helping speed up diagnosis and treatment for millions of women.

Led by researchers from the universities of Bristol and Exeter, it will collect real-time health data and menstrual fluid samples from thousands of women across the UK.

Professor Gemma Sharp said the study was going to be "a real game changer" for menstrual health research and could cut waiting times for effective treatment.

As part of the study, researchers are working with women who have personal experience of heavy periods.

Maria Lewis, 34, from Weston-super-Mare, has lived with heavy menstrual bleeding since she first started menstruating and was diagnosed with endometriosis last year.

She has taken part in the Children of the 90s , external study since childhood and was keen to support the latest research.

Describing the impact of her condition, she said: "It's horrific. I'm in pain every day."

Although she cannot take part in the menstrual fluid collection because she takes hormonal contraception to manage her symptoms and no longer menstruates, she believes the research could help improve understanding of conditions affecting women.

She said: "Absolutely, it needs more of a platform and a louder voice."

Heavy menstrual bleeding, sometimes known as HMB, affects up to half of women worldwide and can have a significant impact on physical, emotional and social wellbeing.

Symptoms can include periods lasting more than seven days, the need to change sanitary protection every one to two hours, passing large blood clots and signs of iron deficiency such as fatigue and dizziness.

Researchers say menstrual health remains poorly understood despite being a key indicator of overall health, partly because of a lack of high-quality data.

Recent studies have suggested heavy periods can affect many aspects of daily life , external , including educational attainment and school attendance.