Less than half of the women we surveyed would get bleeding after the menopause or between their periods immediately checked by a doctor (45 and 44%). Only one third of women also would go to the doctor if they experienced pain during sex (35%) and under half (47%) would call their doctor if they bled during or after sex- often one of the first tell-tale signs of cervical and vaginal cancer.
Between them, womb, cervical and vaginal cancer affect around 13,150 women and people with gynae organs each year in the UK, and like with most cancers, detecting them early can make all the difference in giving women the best possible chance of successful treatment.
Abnormal bleeding is often the first symptom to arise with these cancers, and getting it checked out can help you either get your mind put at rest and your symptoms eased, or if you do have a cancer, get started on the treatment pathway as soon as possible. 9 in every 10 people with womb cancer (the most common of the gynae cancers) are diagnosed after getting abnormal bleeding checked- so it really is important to act fast once you have spotted red!
So, what exactly is abnormal bleeding?
There are a few key symptoms to look out for that could be a sign of a gynae cancer and you should get checked out by a doctor:
- Bleeding in between periods
- Bleeding after sex
- Bleeding after the menopause, this includes anything from a bit of pink or brown discharge, spotting, or a full bleed
- Bleeding that is much heavier or more painful than what is normal for you
- Blood-stained discharge, which could be pink, red or brown (when you aren’t expecting it around your period)
Everyone’s periods are different of course, so it’s really important to get to know what is normal for you so you can spot if anything changes. Tracking your periods will help with this, either in your calendar or using a period tracker app. You could use one red dot for light bleeding, two for medium and three for heavy, and check back over the last few months whenever you add a new entry. This should give you a really quick and visual way to notice any changes.
As well as anything that feels a bit out of the ordinary for you, there are some telltale signs that your periods might need investigating:
- Heavy bleeding for 7 days or more
- Pain/heavy flow that disrupts your daily activities
- If you need to change your tampon/pad every 1-2 hours or
- You need to use 2 period products at the same time
- If you have to get up during the night to change your products.
All month long our annual Get Lippy campaign will be raising awareness of the key signs and symptoms of the five gynae cancers. We will be speaking up, loud and proud to bust the taboos around gynae health so that everyone knows their normal and gets bleedin’ checked. Our CEO, Athena Lamnisos, says: Abnormal bleeding is all too often brushed off as ‘one of those things’. We want everyone to know their ‘normal’ and key cancer symptoms information such as any post-menopausal bleed needs to be checked out. A post-menopausal period is not a thing! Period! This latest research makes it clear that women are sitting on symptoms, either because they don’t recognise them as signs of cancer or because they are ignoring them.’
Join us and Get Lippy this May. Follow us on social media @eveappeal where we will be sharing key gynae health information for you to learn, save and share with your loved ones and followers. You can also support the campaign by buying a supporting product, which is giving 10% of sales during the month to help us fund research to stop these cancers before they start, check out the full Get Lippy product list here.
If you’re worried about any abnormal bleeding, or other gynae health symptoms, our Ask Eve nurses are here to give free and confidential information and advice. Get in touch on nurse@eveappeal.org.uk, 0808 802 0019 or by filling in our online form.