Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information his Department holds on women’s preferences for managing heavy menstrual bleeding.

Public Health England’s recent research entitled ‘What do women say?’ included a survey of more than 7,500 women, and found that embarrassment commonly acted as a barrier to accessing knowledge or support. There was often a perception that symptoms were normal and should be endured and consequently women feared they might not be taken seriously or that they would be judged negatively for needing help. Feeling well cared for by a healthcare professional in an environment free of judgement was seen as an essential component of good care in order to help overcome barriers to asking for help. This included finding new ways to support people if the existing ways were not working.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guideline 'Heavy menstrual bleeding: assessment and management' [NG88], published March 2018, includes evidence as to how exploring women's preferences can inform decisions. The guideline includes advice that clinicians should elicit women’s preferences, that treatment decision-making should involve negotiated agreement between women and clinicians, and that women should have adequate time and support in the decision-making process.