A major project has been launched to assess medical care for women with heavy menstrual bleeding.
The problem affects 20 to 30 per cent of women of reproductive age. It is also the fourth most common cause of referral to gynaecological services.
Dr Tahir Mahmood, who is leading the National Heavy Menstrual Bleeding Audit, says the condition can affect a woman’s health and quality of life. The audit is being run by the UK’s Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.
A questionnaire will be given to women who attend outpatient gynaecology clinics for heavy menstrual bleeding. This will assess their symptoms, any treatment they have had, and the personal impact of the symptoms on their everyday life. They will be sent a similar follow-up questionnaire a year later.
Dr Tahir Mahmood says: "This is the first national audit of its kind and we hope as many women as possible take part. Heavy menstrual bleeding is a very common problem and we hope to reach out to over 80,000 women over the next year and find out what they think about their treatment.
"Across the country there are large variations in the treatment and management of heavy menstrual bleeding. We hope that at the end of this project we will have a national picture of this important health problem."
Results from the two questionnaires will be added to a larger four-year audit looking at current protocols and practice, due to end in 2014.
The options for women with heavy menstrual bleeding have increased over the last decade, with new drugs and surgical procedures becoming available.
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