News
Managers still unprepared to discuss menstrual health, study finds
Few HR professionals believe managers are properly trained to support employees with endometriosis and other menstrual health conditions, new research has revealed.
Only 16 per cent of HR professionals said line managers had the training or resources to effectively support staff with menstrual health issues, according to new research.
That figure dropped to 13 per cent for endometriosis – a disease affecting the lining of the womb, which impacts one in 10 women and those assigned female at birth from puberty to menopause.
The research, carried out by HR software provider Ciphr and the charity Endometriosis UK, surveyed 121 HR professionals and leaders in summer 2025.
It also found that many employers do not provide free period products or have flexible uniform rules.
Julie Burns is the Endometriosis Friendly Employer scheme manager at Endometriosis UK.
She said: “We know that there are many HR professionals already putting in place the right measures to enable those with endometriosis to feel valued, be productive and contribute to their organisation’s success – but as a charity we also hear stories of women and those assigned female at birth treated unfairly or without sympathy, forced to change careers or abandon their ambitions, because of the disease.
“We hope HR professionals recognise that providing support to the estimated 1.5m in the UK with endometriosis is in their interests.
“Doing so will not only enable that community to achieve their potential, but it sends a message to your wider team that they are valued and can expect support and reasonable adjustments.”
Menstrual health policies were far less common among UK employers (11 per cent) than those for mental health (57 per cent) or peri/menopause (48 per cent).
However, flexible working – offered by 89 per cent of employers – may provide some support for employees with endometriosis.
Only 21 per cent of employers recorded data on how many staff had a diagnosed or suspected menstrual health condition such as endometriosis.
Meanwhile, 29 per cent said free period products were not supplied at work, with another 3 per cent unsure.
Among organisations where uniforms are worn, just 18 per cent said employees were asked whether adjustments were needed.
This could be particularly relevant for those with endometriosis, who may experience bloating or heavy bleeding that can temporarily alter body shape by up to two dress sizes.
Claire Hawes, chief people and operations officer at Ciphr, said employers should take the findings seriously.
She said: “It’s concerning that these results reveal such a wide gap in organisational awareness and readiness to support employees living with endometriosis and other menstrual health conditions.
“When managers are perceived as unapproachable or ill-equipped to respond with empathy and understanding, organisations risk sidelining the needs of a significant part of their workforce.
“HR teams have a vital role to play in changing this. Managers must be empowered to support their people holistically – not just in terms of performance and KPIs, but in their health and wellbeing too.
“That means investing in training, implementing flexible policies, signposting resources, and fostering open, compassionate conversations about health.”
Sanchia Alasia is a trustee of Endometriosis UK and senior HR professional who lives with endometriosis.
Alasia said: “My personal and professional experience shows me that a little bit of flexibility can go a really long way.
“Those with endometriosis need to know that if they have a flare-up or need to attend a medical appointment, they can tell a manager and be believed and understood, rather than judged.
“That flexibility needs to be there both in the culture of an organisation and in the policies that line managers rely on.
“Ultimately, line managers need clarity, and all sorts of employees may need that flexibility at some time or another, regardless of whether they have endometriosis, another medical condition, or other circumstances affecting them.”
An EU committee has backed a report warning of systemic inequalities in women’s health research, diagnosis and treatment across Europe.
The European Parliament’s Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality approved the report, which was initiated by Renew Europe.
Women remain under-represented in medical research and clinical trials.
Around 72 per cent of drug trials do not provide data separated by sex and gender, while only five per cent of global research and development funding is dedicated to women’s health.
The report was led by Renew Europe rapporteur Billy Kelleher MEP of Fianna Fáil in Ireland.
It calls for greater investment in women’s health research, stronger inclusion of women in clinical trials and gender-sensitive diagnostics and treatments, particularly for endometriosis, menopause and cardiovascular disease.
Kelleher, first vice-president of Renew Europe, said: “Women’s health remains one of medicine’s biggest blind spots.
“When research, clinical trials and medical data fail to reflect women’s experiences, the result is poorer diagnosis, treatment and care.”
The report also calls for improved access to sexual and reproductive healthcare, including follow-up to the successful European Citizens’ Initiative “My Voice, My Choice”.
Its recommendations include better support for women’s physical and mental health and access to high-quality care throughout pregnancy, childbirth and the postnatal period, free from discrimination.
It also highlights additional healthcare barriers faced by LGBTQI+ people and women in marginalised communities or vulnerable situations.
Kelleher said: “This report is about closing those gaps and ensuring that women’s health is recognised as a core measure of the quality and fairness of our healthcare systems.”
By placing women’s health higher on the political agenda, the report aims to support the implementation of the EU Gender Equality Strategy and shape future European health policies.
A final vote by the European Parliament is expected in September 2026.
Women’s Health Week Europe 2026 has released its full programme ahead of the October event at The Emirates Stadium in London on 7–8 October, with 700+ senior decision-makers and 80+ speakers confirmed across what will be the organisation’s most ambitious edition to date.
For the first time, the event will run across two dedicated stages, each built around a distinct set of questions facing the women’s health industry.
The Global Stage takes on the macro forces shaping the sector: where capital is flowing, how AI is transforming diagnosis and treatment, the gender data gap, wearable technology, stigmatised markets, and the policy landscape across Europe.
Confirmed speakers include Merete Clausen (EIF), Frida Polli (MIT), Nichole Young-Lin (Google), Alison Cave (MHRA), Emily Darlington MP, Kerry Buckley (Boots), Tim Davis (LSEG), Henriette Hessen (Verdane), Hillary Ball (Atomico), and Christine Hockley (British Business Bank).
The Scale Stage runs in parallel, focused on execution: how to navigate regulatory approval pathways, survive the valley of death, build the evidence stack that wins payers and partners, implement AI into a women’s health business, and position for acquisition. Sessions include a reverse pitch format, in which corporates and investors pitch to founders, and a founder’s guide to getting acquired.
The programme also includes two Pitch competitions, one per day, across the Consumer & Tech and Medical Devices & Therapeutics categories, with 16 finalists competing on the mainstage in front of the full delegate audience.
Every session is case study-driven, with speakers selected on the basis of having lived the problem they are on stage to solve.
Women’s Health Week Europe 2026 takes place 7–8 October at The Emirates Stadium, London. The full programme is available now.
View the 2026 programme here
Pre-agenda pricing ends 26 June
Tickets are currently available at pre-agenda pricing, with savings of up to £600 off standard pricing. The deadline is midnight on Friday 26 June. After that, prices go up.
Secure your place: https://wplatform.co/summits/womens-health-week-europe-2026?utm_source=advocacy&utm_medium=ext_email&utm_campaign=whw-europe-26-femtech-world#tickets
Also at The Emirates: Women’s Sport Summit 2026
The day before WHW Europe, on 6 October, The Emirates Stadium will also host the inaugural Women’s Sport Summit, a dedicated one-day event bringing together 400+ attendees from across sport, business, and investment. Focused on the commercial side of women’s sport, the Summit covers the full sports cycle: money, product, and market. Where women’s sport means business.
Most IVF add-ons lack reliable evidence, with benefits either absent or inconclusive, the largest review of its kind has found.
More than 70 per cent of IVF patients in the UK, Australia and New Zealand reportedly pay for one or more additional treatments.
However, researchers found that most of the procedures, medicines and techniques had no effect on fertility or were backed by limited or low-quality evidence.
Unproven add-ons can also lead to false hope, greater financial strain and unnecessary medical procedures at an already difficult time for patients.
Dr Sarah Lensen, of the University of Melbourne, said: “In many countries, infertility care is largely provided by private clinics where IVF is highly commercialised, and some add-ons are extremely expensive.
“Our review finds a lack of evidence that most of the IVF add-ons we assessed provide any benefit to patients. Unproven add-ons can lead to false hope, greater financial strain and unnecessary medical procedures at what already can be a very difficult time for patients.”
Researchers said concerns have grown in recent years about potentially untrustworthy randomised controlled trials in reproductive medicine, including studies of IVF add-ons.
The team set out to review the effectiveness and safety of 10 commonly offered add-ons using trustworthy studies.
Researchers initially identified 157 potentially eligible randomised controlled trials but excluded 72 because of concerns about their reliability.
Randomised controlled trials compare treatments by assigning participants to different groups, helping researchers assess whether an intervention causes a particular outcome.
The team combined data from the remaining 85 trials in a meta-analysis, which brings together findings from several studies.
The review found no effect on fertility or inconclusive evidence for seven of the 10 add-ons examined.
These included acupuncture, which involves inserting thin needles into points on the body, and corticosteroids, medicines that reduce inflammation and suppress immune activity.
Endometrial receptivity testing was also not backed by reliable evidence. The procedure involves taking a sample from the lining of the womb to examine patterns of gene activity.
Another add-on was intralipid infusion, which delivers a fat-containing liquid into the bloodstream.
Researchers separately examined injections of platelet-rich plasma into the ovaries and infusions of platelet-rich plasma into the womb.
Platelet-rich plasma is made from a patient’s blood and contains a high concentration of platelets, which play a role in healing.
The seventh treatment was pre-implantation genetic testing for aneuploidy, which examines embryos to check whether they have the expected number of chromosomes.
The review found only weak evidence of a possible benefit from three other add-ons.
EmbryoGlue, an embryo transfer medium containing hyaluronic acid, may increase the probability of pregnancy and live birth. However, the evidence on live birth rates was not considered robust.
Endometrial scratching, a minor procedure that deliberately disturbs the lining of the womb, may also increase the probability of pregnancy and live birth.
Physiological intracytoplasmic sperm injection, known as PICSI, selects sperm based on their ability to bind to hyaluronic acid. Weak evidence suggested it may reduce the risk of miscarriage.
Lensen said: “There is widespread misinformation about IVF add-ons with private clinic websites and patient forums on social media – major information sources for patients – often overstating the benefits and omitting the costs and risks of add-ons.
“IVF clinics and clinicians should carefully consider whether it is appropriate to offer unproven add-ons, as their availability is often perceived by patients as implicit endorsement of benefit.”
Menopause4 weeks agoPerimenopause misinformation ‘putting women at risk’
Entrepreneur4 weeks agoWomen’s Health Innovation Summit opens submissions for 2026 Innovation Showcase
Insight3 weeks agoBritish women among angriest in Europe, health survey reveals
News4 weeks agoWomen still being failed when they reach menopause, experts say
Menopause2 weeks agoApple Health adds menopause and perimenopause tracking
Menopause4 weeks agoSweden eyes domestic production of oestrogen patches amid menopause treatment shortage
News2 weeks agoFemtech World Awards 2026: Winners revealed
News4 weeks agoThree menopause innovators shortlisted for Femtech World Award