WHY IT’S IMPORTANT TO TALK ABOUT MENSTRUATION
Periods can be uncomfortable to talk about – to your partner, your family, or even your doctor. If you worry that your menstruation is not how it should be, it’s important to have somewhere to turn. While you should maintain open communication with your doctor, Let’s Talk Period is a community for women to talk about their experiences. Our Self-BAT (Self-administered Bleeding Assessment Tool) is a quick and easy way to see if your experience falls within the norm.
Dr. Paula James, below, on the importance of open communication:
Bleeding disorders impact both men and women – why did you choose to focus on women with Let’s Talk Period?
I certainly think the abnormal bleeding is important and worthy of attention in both men and women, but women suffer more. There is just no question about that – because of monthly periods and childbirth. So, we decided to start with the most common problem that I see in clinic, and build from there. Maybe one day we’ll expand to include a “Let’s Talk Bleeding” part of the website!
Do you think that there is difficulty talking about bleeding symptoms in relation to menstruation? Why?
Absolutely – there are social taboos about talking openly about menstruation, and so myths perpetuate about what’s normal and what’s not. It’s a personal thing, that can be embarrassing for some girls and women. I think younger people are more comfortable, discussing these issues which make me hopeful for the future.
What do you hope to accomplish with Let’s Talk Period?
One of our goals with Let’s Talk Period is to provide a safe place for people to learn about abnormal bleeding, in an interactive way, and to give something back to them (their Self-BAT score) to empower additional thought and discussion about bleeding.
To learn more about effective treatments or to continue the conversation, please get in touch with us by writing to us at the bottom of our website homepage. Join our communities on Facebook and Instagram to get regular information about bleeding disorders and help other women be empowered by this knowledge.