Heavy periods affect school attendance and exam scores, study in England finds

Charities say more should be done to support girls who experience prolonged bleeding and severe menstrual pain

Heavy, prolonged periods and severe menstrual pain are linked with lower school attendance and poorer GCSE scores, according to new research.

The England-based study found that more than a third of girls (36%) who participated experienced heavy or prolonged menstrual bleeding, which was associated with missing an additional 1.7 days of school every year.