News & Events

Learn more about the New International Journal of Gynecology & Obstetrics (IJGO) supplement on heavy menstrual bleeding, iron deficiency and pregnancy

The IJGO has published a new supplement, “Our path from abnormal uterine bleeding and iron deficiency to impaired fetal development: A long and winding road”. This supplement, developed by the FIGO Committee on Menstrual Disorders and Related Health Impacts, aims to lay out a comprehensive overview of the links between heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB), iron deficiency (ID), and neonatal development. 

Learn more about The New FIGO Policy Statement on ID and Anemia in Women and Girls

“Anaemia is an under-recognised and undertreated chronic state that adversely impacts more than 2 billion people worldwide, predominantly women, the fetus and children.1 Iron deficiency is the most common micronutrient deficiency worldwide and is the most frequent cause of anaemia.”

Learn more on How to Know if You’re Iron-Deficient, and What to Do About It written by Alisha Haridasani Gupta and Alice Callahan explains how to keep menstrual bleeding in check and how to make smart nutritional choices

More Than a Third of Women Under 50 Are Iron-Deficient written by Alisha Haridasani Gupta illustrates the risk of iron deficiency, it’s causes, and if you should get your levels checked

International Day of Action for Women’s Health 2023: Period Poverty Awareness

International Day of Action for Women’s Health is Sunday, May 28th! This year The Women’s Health research Collaborative (WHrC) has worked to raise awareness for period poverty and the negative impact it has on people who menstruate. Check out the infographic below to learn more.

WHrC’s chair, Malcolm Munro, MD, FACOG, FRCSC, and committee members, Alan Mast, MD, Jackie Powers, MD, MS, Peter Kouides, MD, Sarah O’Brien, MD, Toby Richards, MD, FRCS, Michelle Lavin, PhD, and Barbara Levy, MD, FACOG, FACS, publish an article on The Relationship Between Heavy Menstrual Bleeding, Iron Deficiency, and Iron Deficiency Anemia in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology

Abstract

For reproductive-aged women, the symptom of heavy menstrual bleeding is highly prevalent and a major contributor to iron deficiency and its most severe manifestation, iron deficiency anemia. It is recognized that these two clinical entities are not only highly prevalent, but their interrelationship is poorly appreciated and frequently normalized by society, healthcare providers, and affected girls and women themselves. Both heavy menstrual bleeding and iron deficiency, with or without anemia, adversely impact the quality of life - heavy menstrual bleeding during the episodes of bleeding and iron deficiency on a daily basis. These combined issues adversely affect the lives of reproductive-aged girls and women of all ages, from menarche to menopause, while their often-insidious nature frequently leads to normalization. The effects on cognitive function, as well as the related work and school absenteeism and presenteeism, can undermine the efforts and function of women in all walks of life, be they students, educators, employers, or employees. There is also an increasing body of evidence that suggests that iron deficiency, even in early pregnancy, may adversely impact fetal neurodevelopment with enduring effects on a spectrum of cognitive and psychological disorders, critically important evidence that begs the normalization of iron stores in reproductive-aged women. The authors seek to raise individual, societal, and professional awareness of this underappreciated situation in a fashion that leads to meaningful and evidence-based changes in clinical guidance and healthcare policy directed at preventing, screening, diagnosing, and appropriately managing both disorders. This manuscript provides evidence supporting the need for action and describes the elements necessary to address this pervasive set of conditions that not only affect reproductive-aged girls and women but also the lives of children everywhere.

Munro, M G et al. “The Relationship between Heavy Menstrual Bleeding, Iron Deficiency, and Iron Deficiency Anemia.” American journal of obstetrics and gynecology, S0002-9378(23)00024-8. 24 Jan. 2023, doi:10.1016/j.ajog.2023.01.017

The International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics’s (FIGO) Committee on Menstrual Disorders and Related Health Impacts and Committee on Reproductive Medicine, Endocrinology and Infertility have published a joint open access special article on the FIGO ovulatory disorders classification system in the International Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics (IJGO), Human Reproduction and Fertility & Sterility

Addressing the global challenge of ovulatory disorders  

Ovulatory disorders are extremely common. For instance, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is experienced by up to 20% of reproductive-aged women worldwide. Ovulatory disorders are common causes of amenorrhea, abnormal uterine bleeding and infertility.

According to Professor Malcolm Munro, Past Chair of the FIGO Committee on Menstrual Disorders and Related Health Impacts,  

“The FIGO ovulatory disorders classification system is the culmination of a rigorous and inclusive process directed by two of FIGO's committees and involving experts, national and subspecialty societies and journals, as well as patient advocacy groups from six continents.  

This work demonstrates FIGO's ability to assemble and lead an inclusive network of stakeholders to deal with a global health care issue in a fashion that should address an important unmet need.”

Application of the new ovulatory disorders classification system 

This paper describes the development of a new classification of ovulatory disorders conducted using a rigorously applied Delphi process.

The system is applied after a preliminary assessment identifies the presence of an ovulatory disorder. The primary level of the system is based on an anatomic model (Hypothalamus, Pituitary, Ovary), with a separate category for PCOS. This core component of the system is easily remembered using the acronym HyPO-P (see below).

Professor Munro highlights that the system described in this special article “should facilitate education, clinical care and the design and interpretation of basic, translational, clinical and epidemiological research in a way that improves care for the hundreds of millions of women affected by ovulatory disorders worldwide”. 

Published August 19, 2022

FIGO’s Committee on Menstrual Disorders and Related Health Impacts publishes a systematic review and meta-analysis of cesarean scar defects and abnormal uterine bleeding

This paper’s objective is to synthesize the published literature to better understand the association between cesarean scar defects (CSDs) and abnormal uterine bleeding (AUB). In particular, we aimed to evaluate the risk and pattern(s) of CSD-associated AUB in addition to exploring the relationship between defect morphology with bleeding symptoms.

Published August 17, 2022

The Kinetix Group and Converging Health Release Early Findings on Women's Health from Collaborative Partnership

NEW YORK, June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Kinetix Group (TKG) and Converging Health released some early insights from their collaborative work. The joint research identified an underrecognition of the impact of heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB) and its correlation to overall healthcare costs.

Earlier this year, the two companies announced a collaborative partnership to apply data and expert insights to unmet health needs as well as determine their corresponding cost implications. 

John Strapp, co-founder and chairman of The Kinetix Group, said, "Our goal was to accelerate appropriate identification of underrecognized diseases and empower executive leaders to make informed decisions, and we've found our first need – women's health." 

Proprietary insights from the collaboration identified that women diagnosed with HMB cost on average $7000 per member per year more than those who do not. In addition, the findings suggested that heavy menstrual bleeding is normalized, under-reported and often leads to other conditions such as iron deficiency and anemia.

"Because this issue gets hidden with nonspecific codes, it goes unrecognized by employers. This collaboration just gave us a burning platform to raise the level of awareness around the burden of heavy menstrual bleeding on women and the cost implications to employers that haven't before been recognized and likely aren't floating to the top of their employee engagement strategies," said Scott Conard, MD, co-founder and partner at Converging Health. 

The collaborative's initial focus on women's health also occurred around International Day of Action for Women's Health–a day devoted to organizations or individuals mobilizing around a priority women's health topic best suited to their local context. 

International Day of Action for Women’s Health 2022: HMB 2.0

International Women’s Health Action Day was May 28th! The Women’s Health research Collaborative (WHrC) has continued to raise awareness for chronic period pain and heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB). Check out the infographic below and learn how to start the conversation today!

Women’s Health research Collaborative Partners with Pharmacosmos and Blood Management Leader to Advance Identification of Women with Heavy Menstrual Bleeding and Iron Deficiency

NEW YORK, November 23, 2021 – The Women’s Health Research Collaborative (WHrC) announces a collaborative partnership amongst multiple stakeholders to address the related issues of iron deficiency (ID) and heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB) through patient-centered research.

Key stakeholders include Pharmacosmos Therapeutics Inc., an industry leader in the treatment of iron deficiency anemia, Alan Mast, MD, PhD, Walter Schroeder Endowed Chair for Blood Research and Senior Investigator at Versiti Blood Research Institute, and Malcolm Munro, MD, Chair of the WHrC.

This collaboration will study ferritin levels from over 1000 blood samples from female blood donors between the ages 18 to 45 who are already participating in an NIH sponsored study. The symptom of excessive menstrual bleeding will be elicited by a questionnaire, and since ferritin is an important measure of iron deficiency, the results should allow the investigators to further explore the relationship between HMB and ID and their impact on health-related quality of life. The study runs through December 2022, with analysis in 2023 and is being funded by an unrestricted grant from Pharmacosmos Therapeutics.

“This work should help us understand more about the prevalence of iron deficiency in reproductive aged women, particularly in relationship with their self described menstrual experience” said Dr. Munro.

“Reproductive-aged women who donate blood are at high risk for iron deficiency. This study will examine how menstruation, blood donation, and donor genetics influence this risk,” said Dr. Mast who is also an associate professor at the Medical College of Wisconsin and member of WHrC’s HMB/ID/IDA Steering Committee.

Michael Spyridon, PhD, Global Medical Director for Obstetrics and Gynecology at Pharmacosmos said ‘‘We are proud to support this important study and to collaborate with such a prestigious group of investigators”.

[Read More]

International Day of Action for Women's Health 2021: HMB 1.0

NEW YORK, May 28, 2021 -- It’s International Women’s Health Action Day! The Women’s Health research Collaborative has worked to raise awareness for heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB). Check out the infographic below on how to start the conversation today!

Women's Health research Collaborative Launches Multi-stakeholder Initiatives Around Unmet Women's Health Needs

NEW YORK, March 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Women's Health research Collaborative (WHrC) announces the launch of a multi-stakeholder initiative designed to raise awareness and address the burden of women's health issues through patient-centered research. Key stakeholders include health systems, advocacy groups, life science organizations, payers, employers, and consumer facing technology organizations who are contributing their influence to activate change within the health care system and society. [Read More]