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Reach Out

Womenʼs Health
Has Been Ignored
for Too Long

Learn what thousands of people shared about periods

Evidation and Myovant Sciences collaborated to conduct a survey with thousands of people on menstrual attitudes and experiences

Myovant Sciences and Evidation Health collaborated on a digital insights survey to investigate the prevalence and impact of menstrual symptoms, as well as menstrual education and attitudes. The survey was completed by U.S. users between the ages of 19-48 through Evidation’s app, Achievement. The survey was 53 questions in length for female respondents and 10 questions in length for male respondents. Additionally, passive data from smartphones, wearables, and other connected devices were permissioned and analyzed to understand the real-world impact of menstruation on respondents’ everyday lives. PERIOD. Inc. contributed to the development of questions specific to menstrual education, attitudes, and conversations.

Over 13,000 females and males elected to share their survey insights in this web-based report. The sample included both female and male respondents from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.

What we learned:

Stigma is pervasive and menstruation is insufficiently discussed

Over 60% of female and male respondents believe there is a stigma around menstruation in society today. About 1 in 5 female respondents do not feel comfortable talking about menstruation with healthcare providers, and about 1 in 10 male respondents do not feel comfortable talking about menstruation with anyone.

Menstrual symptoms are common and have an impact on daily activities

Over 80% of female respondents report heavy menstrual bleeding or menstrual pain at some point in their lives. On average, respondents with heavy menstrual bleeding (23%) or severe menstrual pain (26%) during their last period sleep less versus those without these symptoms. Respondents with heavy menstrual bleeding are also less active with 5% fewer steps per day.

Menstrual cycle tracking is common, especially with mobile apps

Over 75% of female respondents track their menstrual cycles. Of these, 78% use mobile apps. The most frequently cited motivations for using mobile apps include predicting the onset of menstruation, tracking menstrual bleeding, and learning more about health.

Stigma, Education, and Conversations

Results from this survey showed that period stigma is pervasive. Across all demographic groups, female and male respondents report there is stigma around menstruation in society today. Only 6 in 10 female respondents and half of male respondents report they received adequate education around menstruation. Over 70% of all respondents would not feel comfortable talking about menstruation with a colleague, with similar findings across other audiences.

There is a stigma around menstruation in society today.

Percentage of respondents (13,145 respondents)

Filter by:
All
Sex
Female Male
Age (years)
19–23 24–28 29–33 34–38 39–43 44–48
Race/Ethnicity
White Hispanic or Latino Black or African-American Asian or Pacific Islander
Next Created with Sketch. Education

I have received adequate education around menstruation, in school or otherwise.

Percentage of respondents (13,145 respondents)

Filter by:
All
Sex
Female Male
Age (years)
19–23 24–28 29–33 34–38 39–43 44–48
Race/Ethnicity
White Hispanic or Latino Black or African-American Asian or Pacific Islander
Next Created with Sketch. Conversations

With whom would you feel comfortable talking about menstruation?

Percentage of respondents (13,145 respondents)

Filter by:
All
Sex
Female Male
Age (years)
19–23 24–28 29–33 34–38 39–43 44–48
Race/Ethnicity
White Hispanic or Latino Black or African-American Asian or Pacific Islander
Next Created with Sketch. Stigma

Menstrual symptoms and their impact

This survey looked at a large distribution of menstrual symptoms across demographic groups. About 1 in 4 respondents report heavy menstrual bleeding (23%) and severe menstrual pain (26%), defined as ≥7 on a scale of 1 to 10. Half of respondents report less activity during their last period and nearly half (45%) report a change in their sleep duration during their last period.

Note that the questions below are only answered by respondents who reported menstruating within the last three months.

What symptoms did you experience during your last period?

Percentage of respondents (9,941 respondents)

Filter by:
All
Age (years)
19–23 24–28 29–33 34–38 39–43 44–48
Race/Ethnicity
White Hispanic or Latino Black or African-American Asian or Pacific Islander
Next Created with Sketch. Heavy Menstrual Bleeding

During your last period, how much were the following activities impacted by your menstrual bleeding?

Percentage of respondents (9,941 respondents)

Filter by:
All
Age (years)
19–23 24–28 29–33 34–38 39–43 44–48
Race/Ethnicity
White Hispanic or Latino Black or African-American Asian or Pacific Islander
Next Created with Sketch. Menstrual Pain

During your last period, how much were the following activities impacted by your menstrual pain?

Percentage of respondents (7,769 respondents)

Filter by:
All
Age (years)
19–23 24–28 29–33 34–38 39–43 44–48
Race/Ethnicity
White Hispanic or Latino Black or African-American Asian or Pacific Islander
Next Created with Sketch. Activity Data

Impact of menstrual symptoms on step count and sleep

Over a 30-day window, wearable devices objectively measured differences in steps taken and sleep time for respondents with heavy menstrual bleeding and severe menstrual pain versus respondents without heavy menstrual bleeding or with mild to no menstrual pain, respectively.

Next Created with Sketch. Menstrual Symptoms

The State of Cycle Tracking

More than 3 in 4 respondents track their menstrual cycle and report paying attention to changes in their menstrual cycle. Regardless of age, respondents use mobile apps more frequently than other methods to track their menstrual cycle. The motivation for tracking varies considerably by age. Frequent motivations cited by respondents include predicting the onset of their period, tracking menstrual bleeding, and learning more about their health.

Note that the questions below are only answered by respondents who reported menstruating within the last three months.

What methods do you use to keep track of your menstrual cycle?

Percentage of respondents (8,352 respondents)

Filter by:
All
Age (years)
19–23 24–28 29–33 34–38 39–43 44–48
Race/Ethnicity
White Hispanic or Latino Black or African-American Asian or Pacific Islander
Next Created with Sketch. Cycle Tracking Motivations

Why do you track your menstrual cycle using a mobile app?

Percentage of respondents (6,512 respondents)

Filter by:
All
Age (years)
19–23 24–28 29–33 34–38 39–43 44–48
Race/Ethnicity
White Hispanic or Latino Black or African-American Asian or Pacific Islander
Next Created with Sketch. Cycle Tracking Methods

Explore Female Forward Together

Commitment to Privacy

Commitment to Privacy

Women’s health research has been underfunded and deprioritized for too long, creating significant gaps in knowledge and limiting our ability to improve health outcomes for women. We are grateful to the informed and empowered individuals who choose to participate in this coalition project. Their participation enables unprecedented and meaningful insights into women’s health, including experiences with menstruation.

Learn more about our partners' commitment to data privacy:
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