In the News 30.08.19

Newsnight and Radio 5 Live presenter Emma Barnett, 34, claims men would be given time off work if they had periods as she opens up on ‘taboo

• Emma Barnett has written a book about periods where she ‘tries to question what is driving people’s squeamishness around the topic,’
• Whilst researching for the book, Emma discovered that only 27% of women tell their employers the truth about why they’re feeling unwell at certain times of the month
• Emma suffers from Endometriosis and is the first person to announce on live tv that she was menstruating
• Whilst she doesn’t support menstrual leave, she points out that ‘if women just felt more able to talk about it, accommodations could be made to help them do their job.’
• Read the full article in the Daily Mail; Impact of periods on women’s careers
• It’s great to see the impact of periods/menstrual problems on women’s careers being highlighted and awareness of endometriosis being raised

Only one in eight women have a 28-day menstrual cycle

• Scientists from UCL and contraceptive app Natural Cycles investigated over 600,000 menstrual cycles and more than 124,000 women in one of the biggest studies of its kind to date
• Only 13% of cycles are 28 days in length – with the average cycle length standing at 29.3 days and 65% of women had cycles that lasted between 25 and 30 days
• The findings could help women better understand when pregnancy is likely and unlikely to occur, and offer hope to couples who are struggling to conceive
• Read the full article in The Mirror; Irregular Periods
• This research highlights the fact that the menstrual cycle differs between women but it’s important to point out what’s normal and when to seek medical advice

ENDO HELL Heavy periods and 4 other signs of endometriosis – and how to treat it

• there’s still a worrying lack of awareness when it comes to endometriosis – and the warning signs to look out for
• Dr Sarah Jarvis, GP and clinical director of Patient.info explains the symptoms of endometriosis
• The article cites celebrities with the condition and explains that in some cases a hysterectomy is required but other surgical options for endometriosis are a laparotomy and laparoscopy (keyhole surgery)
• Read the full article in The Sun; Endometriosis Signs
• Another article raising awarness of endometriosis and educating women on the symptoms to look out for which is great

Read our other blogs

5 Ways to cope with Menstrual Cramps

and The Language of Periods!