Menstruation animation launches

MRC Centre for Reproductive Health is delighted to share our latest animation with you.

‘Typical and problem periods’ clearly and simply describes menstruation, how to identify if periods are not typical, and where to seek help.

It also highlights the important research into this topic being carried out by Dr Jacqueline Maybin and her lab group at MRC Centre for Reproductive Health. Their work will help prevent problematic periods from occurring and develop better treatments for those who are suffering. 

Typical period problems transcript (571.19 KB PDF)

Despite 51% of the population being female and one in four of those who menstruate suffering with problematic periods, talking about menstruation unfortunately remains a taboo subject for many.

If you aren’t impacted by troublesome menstrual symptoms, it is very likely that your friend, mother, sister, daughter or partner will be. Menstrual disorders negatively impact on physical, mental, social and economic health. We don’t often talk about periods and many people find it really hard to know what is considered a 'normal' period and when to seek help.

We hope this animation provides an increased awareness and understanding of menstrual disorders and the help that is available. This will enable people who menstruate to reach their full potential and have a positive impact on all of society.  

This creative new engagement tool will be useful for those who are experiencing menstrual problems, employers and policy makers. It may be of particular interest to the younger audience, particularly high school students, who are looking for more resources and support.  Parents, teachers and students can use this together as they broach this topic and encourage open dialogue, educating themselves and others on menstrual health. This will, in turn, reduce the stigma and ‘menstrual taboo’ which can surround this topic. 

Having open conversations about periods can help you and others to know when things aren’t right. If problematic periods are interfering with your life, or the life of someone you know, there is help available. There are websites offering support, including the NHS website and Healthy Optimal Periods for Everyone (HOPE). These sources allow people to access reliable information on menstruation, menstrual disorders and treatment, from the comfort of their own home or classroom.

Please share this animation as you wish. You may wish to use the hashtags #periods #menstruation #problemperiods  #heavymenstrualbleeding and #menstrualhealth

You can learn more about Dr Maybin’s research at MRC CRH by visiting her profile.

Visit Dr Jackie Maybin’s profile page

For further support on menstrual health and menstrual problems, as well as lesson plans for teachers, please visit our Patient Information page on the HOPE website.

Visit the HOPE website

For more information and advice on heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB), please visit the NHS website.

Visit the NHS page on heavy periods

Many thanks to Onya Lawson, who is a menstrual health ambassador at St David’s RC High School in Dalkeith, for her valuable contribution and insight.

The CRH’s Dr Jackie Maybin and Ginnie Clark worked with Cloud Chamber Studios to create this engagement tool.

This animation has been translated into a number of different languages to provide accessibility to a wider audience. To access subtitles, go to the Settings wheel (computer) or the three dots (phone) in the corner of the screen and choose Subtitles, then your language of choice.

We send our thanks and appreciation to the following translators:

Sana Shabbir (reviewed by Rabia Sherjil and Adeel Shafi) - Urdu / اُردُو

Joanna Macutkiewicz‎ - Polish / Polski

Maura Frunza - Romanian / Limba Română

Chenjiazi Xu and Pei-Lun (Helen) Lu - Mandarin Chinese / 官话

Rocío Martínez Aguilar – Spanish / Español

A transcript of the video is available below.

The video is also available on YouTube without backing music.