Tackling 'Period Inequity': New over-the-counter medicine brand launches for millions of women who suffer with distruptive heavy periods

From today a new brand to treat heavy periods becomes available direct from pharmacies nationwide to help the millions of women who routinely struggle with heavy menstrual bleeding each month. 

Evana  Heavy Period Relief 500 mg tablets, tranexamic acid has been shown to reduce period blood loss by as much as 60% . Evana  is the only over-the-counter tranexamic acid medicine to treat heavy periods that is available direct from pharmacies without a prescription. 

Recent research shows that over 9 in 10 women (91%) experience heavy periods, with around half (49%) experiencing severe bleeding. The same research from the Wellbeing of Women charity study amongst 3,000 women and girls also shows that fewer than 1 in 7 (14%) have tried medication to help with their heavy, disruptive periods. According to the Women’s Health Strategy for England , women report being told that heavy and painful periods are ‘normal’ or that the woman will ‘grow out of them’. Women also reported speaking to doctors on multiple occasions over many months or years before receiving a diagnosis for conditions such as endometriosis.

Evana  is launched by the female founded, UK based consumer healthcare company, Maxwellia, alongside Ultravana  Period Pain Relief 250mg gastro-resistant tablets (naproxen) which women can also access from pharmacies without prescription. The introduction of Evana  and Ultravana  in pharmacies widens access to menstrual health medicines and addresses a current unmet need in women’s health where ‘normalisation’ of problematic periods means many women are struggling with disruptive symptoms each month and are not seeking advice and treatment from a healthcare professional.

Maxwellia founder and CEO Anna Maxwell, commented: “More than 3 million women (over a fifth of the female population - 21%) have taken time off work related to period symptoms.  In half of cases (50%) of continued heavy bleeding no underlying cause is found  so women need to have ways to manage it. Heavy and painful periods are common, but they don’t need to be disruptive.

“We are really pleased to have been able to bring two effective brands to market that are widely used by doctors in hospitals and clinics and can now be accessed in the pharmacy setting as a self-care option. Through the availability of Evana  and Ultravana , we can drive awareness of the condition and let women know that there are treatment options available, via their pharmacist, which enables an earlier intervention than would normally happen under the present system. This is another momentous step on our journey in enabling pharmacists to broaden their front-line role and help women take more control of their own health.”

Heavy periods are defined as excessive menstrual blood loss which interferes with a woman’s physical, social, emotional and/or material quality of life.  Whilst period pain is described as sharp pains or dull aches in the tummy, or cramps that can spread to the back and thighs, usually lasting up to 3 days and affecting daily activities.

A recent report from the charity InKind found that almost 1 in 5 who have periods say they miss work with most or every period, costing £3.25 billion every year in lost work days.  This is not just a one-off issue, with women routinely suffering the regular pain, embarrassment and inconvenience of heavy and painful periods for up to 40 years, over the course of their working lives.  Heavy menstrual bleeding is also the main cause of iron deficiency anaemia among women of reproductive age, adding to the symptom burden among those affected. 

Commenting on the launch, Louise Stephenson, Partner at Drax Executive Recruitment says; ‘Women in business want to be able to perform to their best, and on a par with men. Period inequity is a very real issue, and many women continue to work despite not feeling comfortable enough to deliver to their full potential. The availability of over-the-counter menstrual health treatments will help empower women to better manage their symptoms in the workplace and beyond.”

Anna Cooper who co-founded The Menstrual Health Project having struggled with heavy periods for many years before receiving a diagnosis of endometriosis says, “Heavy and painful periods have impacted my life considerably; I know first-hand how challenging it can be to feel heard. There is the physical and emotional battle that period problems bring, and when you add the limitations that they can place on your work and social life, you can start to feel very isolated. Accessible treatments for heavy and painful periods will be a huge help for so many people who are struggling, and the wider impact from the increased awareness of menstrual health issues that these new brands will bring will be a real game changer too.”