Perth researchers are expanding their work in menstrual health through two new international programs aimed at improving the understanding, diagnosis and treatment of heavy menstrual bleeding, a widespread women’s health issue with significant economic and social consequences.
The initiatives, undertaken in collaboration between the Women and Infants Research Foundation (WIRF), the National University of Singapore, Universidad de los Andes, Chile and Edith Cowan University, build on connections established through WIRF’s annual Scientific Dialogue in August this year.
The event brought international menstrual health expert Dr Jacqueline Maybin from the University of Edinburgh’s Centre for Reproductive Health to Perth, creating opportunities to connect researchers and explore new approaches to a health challenge that affects women globally.
Dr Maybin leads Wellcome Leap’s The Missed Vital Sign, a three-year global research program seeking to transform how abnormal menstrual bleeding is identified, diagnosed and treated. The initiative brings multidisciplinary teams together to accelerate breakthroughs in menstrual health.
Her participation in the Scientific Dialogue provided an opportunity to strengthen connections between Perth researchers and the international research community, helping lay the groundwork for further collaboration.
Heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB) is more common than asthma or diabetes among women of reproductive age. Beyond its physical impacts, including iron deficiency and anaemia, it can significantly affect women's emotional wellbeing, participation in the workforce and quality of life.
Research involving 1,796 Australian working women has estimated that period pain and heavy menstrual bleeding cost the Australian economy approximately $14 billion annually in lost productivity.
Despite this substantial economic burden, menstrual health remains under-researched, underreported and inadequately addressed, with significant opportunities for scientific innovation and the development of new treatments.
WIRF Chief Scientist Professor Matt Kemp said building international research partnerships was critical to accelerating progress in an area where the need for better evidence and treatment options was clear.
“Menstrual health is an important but historically under-investigated area of women’s health. Addressing it requires collaboration across disciplines, institutions and countries to build the evidence base and develop solutions that can make a meaningful difference to women’s lives,” Professor Kemp said.
The first new program to commence in Perth is an extension of work co-led by Professor Kemp, which takes a multi-omic approach - examining multiple layers of biological information - to better understanding heavy menstrual bleeding across Asian and South American cohorts.
The Perth-based study will recruit a large cohort of women for comprehensive assessments of menstrual health and menstrual fluid composition, alongside detailed physiological and haematological assessments. Further studies involving women in remote and regional centres are planned for next year.
The second program will see WIRF partner with Post Doctoral Research Fellow in Midwifery Dr Kate Buchanan and her team at Edith Cowan University to conduct focus groups in Western Australia to gather community perspectives, understand consumer preferences, and assess interest in emerging treatment approaches for heavy menstrual bleeding.
Dr Buchanan said there was a pressing need to develop new, targeted treatments that were effective, accessible and easy for women to use.
“It is vital that we develop new, precise treatments for heavy periods that women can use easily to prevent iron deficiency and ensure they can function at their best,” Dr Buchanan said.
“Women experiencing heavy periods have made clear that their priorities are treatments that do not affect fertility, are non-invasive, have fewer side effects and address the underlying causes of heavy bleeding.
“There is significant interest from commercial companies in these treatments, but we currently lack the robust scientific evidence needed to demonstrate their effectiveness and safety.
“Our project aims to help generate that evidence and facilitate future collaboration across academic and commercial sectors to bring new products to market.
“Ultimately, we want to minimise the disruption heavy periods cause to women’s daily lives, allowing them to focus on their personal and professional priorities and improve their quality of life.”
The projects demonstrate the broader role of WIRF’s Scientific Dialogue in bringing together international expertise, local research capability and lived experience experts to create opportunities for collaboration beyond the event itself.
WIRF is working to close the women’s health gap and improve health outcomes across the life course. Through its research partnerships, the Foundation aims to accelerate the translation of scientific discoveries into better prevention, diagnosis and treatment, while creating opportunities to engage with healthcare, technology and commercial sectors.
The two new programs represent an important step towards addressing a significant and largely unmet women's health need, with the potential to deliver benefits not only for women but also for employers, the healthcare system and the broader Australian economy.
