Wellbeing of Women

Who are we? 

Over the past six decades, Wellbeing of Women have invested over £68 million in hundreds of pioneering medical research projects focused on women’s health and wellbeing. We are dedicated to improving knowledge and understanding of both rare and common women’s health conditions. 

We have celebrated incredible breakthroughs which have led to changes in treatment and improved care and outcomes for millions of women in the UK and around the world. Today, we take ultrasound screening of pregnant women and the HPV vaccine for granted, but these life-saving treatments are the result of research championed and funded by Wellbeing of Women.   

Our ‘Just a Period’ campaign 

Millions of women, girls and people who menstruate suffer with severe period pain and heavy bleeding that disrupts their lives. Instead of getting the treatment and support they desperately need, they’re often dismissed and told it’s “Just a period”. 

Almost all (97%) of the girls we surveyed experience painful periods, with over 42% experiencing severe pain. The impact on their lives is significant. 20% of girls said their period leaves them ‘bed-bound’ and unable to do anything, and 11% of girls said their period makes them feel like life isn’t worth living. 

59% of women and girls have taken time off school/college/university in relation to their period. 

This is unacceptable.  

We want to educate and empower girls and women to be in control of their menstrual health from their first period to their last. By knowing what a ‘normal period’ is, they can recognise when they need more help and have the confidence to advocate for their care. 82% of the women and girls we surveyed agreed that there needs to be more accurate and accessible information available on periods. 

We would like to see: 

• Better menstrual health education in schools, with interactive workshops and peer support groups that are age appropriate, informative and include all pupils. 
• A public health campaign on menstrual health and period problems for teens and young women, with a focus on reaching and supporting women from deprived and marginalised communities. 
• Girls and women routinely asked about their periods when seen by health care professionals at existing touchpoints, such as vaccinations, contraceptive advice and general health checks. 
• More funding for menstrual health research to improve prevention, diagnosis and treatment of period problems and other gynaecological conditions. 

We want to ensure that menstrual health never prevents girls and women from reaching their potential and enables them to thrive. 

Why support us? 

Public funding for women’s health is minimal, with less than 2.1% of funds being allocated to understand and improve diagnosis and treatment of conditions which affect women. This lack of prioritisation means that millions of women’s needs are ignored. Instead of fulfilling their potential, women are left suffering from debilitating symptoms without the care they deserve.    

With your help we can transform future clinical care and available treatments, making sure that no woman is limited by her health. Life-changing breakthroughs are on the horizon. You can make a difference to women who may be struggling with infertility, coping with heavy periods, experiencing the heartbreak of miscarriage or feeling devastated by a cancer diagnosis. We have nearly fifty active research projects, each with significant potential to transform care and support for women.   

Thank you 

For any donation you are able to make, we are hugely grateful.