Menstrual cycle data should be routinely documented by healthcare professionals and researchers as it can be used as an indicator for other health issues, experts have said.
This information – which includes cycle length, regularity, intensity and duration of bleeding – is not routinely collected in healthcare systems or research except when reproductive issues are being assessed.
According to experts writing in the Lancet Obstetrics, Gynaecology, & Women’s Health, this lack of documentation has resulted in a relatively basic understanding of the impact of menstrual cycles on health, as well as the underdiagnosis and neglect of concerns related to menstruation such as pain and heavy bleeding.
These menstrual cycle characteristics can be indicators for conditions such as diabetes, thyroid disorders, polycystic ovarian syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis and irritable bowel syndrome.
In England, information on a patient’s menstrual cycle is not routinely collected by healthcare professionals, unlike other measures such as BMI, blood pressure and cholesterol.
More than a quarter of women in England are living with a serious reproductive health issue, according to the largest survey of its kind published this year, with experts saying that “systemic, operational, structural and cultural issues” prevent women from accessing care.
Almost a fifth (19%) of women who took part in the study experienced severe period pain in the last year, and 40% of respondents reported heavy menstrual bleeding.
A report by the women and equalities parliamentary committee last year found that women and girls are enduring years of pain because their reproductive conditions are being dismissed due to “medical misogyny”.
Dr Ranee Thakar, the president of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, said: “Serious conditions like fibroids and endometriosis can have a devastating impact on almost every aspect of a person’s life, including impacting their physical and mental health, and their ability to work and socialise.
“Too often systemic, operational, structural and cultural issues mean women do not get the care they deserve and our current system risks entrenching the health inequalities we can see in these findings.”
The authors of the study concluded: “The menstrual cycle is an underused but powerful tool for understanding gynaecological and general health. It functions as a vital sign across the lifespan, providing crucial information that can be used to guide and monitor clinical treatment and symptom management and inform screening and preventive care.
“Recognising the menstrual cycle as an essential health indicator will strengthen health services and impact research across disciplines. Importantly, this recognition will also improve the health of women throughout their lives.”
Period-tracking devices have been in demand in recent years, but there are concerns over personal data and information being used by private companies. Public health bodies such as the NHS have been urged to develop their own rival apps to protect data.
NHS England has been approached for comment.