Portal on Heavy Menstrual Bleeding provided by the
HELP Group
Watch to the HELP Group members talking about their mission.
Heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB) is the most common presentation of abnormal uterine bleeding and affects up to 30% of women at some point in their lives.1,2 HMB can negatively influence a woman’s physical, emotional, social and material quality of life;1 however, the majority of affected women do not realise their bleeding is abnormal.
The HELP Group have created this website to provide a comprehensive educational resource to identify HMB, diagnose, and counsel on effective therapeutic options. By expanding your knowledge of HMB, you can have better consultations with your patients and help find appropriate treatments to improve their lives.
The Terminology of Heavy Menstrual Bleeding
One of the key issues surrounding abnormal menstrual bleeding (AUB) and heavy menstrual bleeding is the inconsistency in the nomenclature used when describing symptoms and causes.1
The Menstrual Disorders Working Group was set up by the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) to address the issues associated with the terminology in this area and to develop consistent, universally accepted terminology that can be used by clinicians, investigators and patients to facilitate communication, clinical care, and research.3
Extensive international discussion has led to the recommendation that terms such as ‘menorrhagia’ should be discarded, as they are poorly defined and confusing.1 Instead, simple and clear terminology such as ‘abnormal uterine bleeding’ and ‘heavy menstrual bleeding’ should be used.1
AUB is a significant clinical entity and is the overarching term used to describe any departure from normal menstruation.1
HMB is not an alternative term for AUB but it is the most common clinical manifestation, affecting up to 30% of women at some point in their lives.1,2
HMB is defined as excessive menstrual blood loss that interferes with a woman’s physical, emotional, social, and material quality of life.1 It is important to recognize that HMB is not a diagnosis, but rather a symptom: a starting point in the search for a diagnosis.1
Identify patients with HMB
Learn about the challenges in identifying HMB and how a questionnaire for HMB can ease your diagnostic counselling.
Diagnosis of HMB
Discover the steps of the HELP Diagnostic Algorithm and how this tool can guide you through diagnosing and managing a patient with HMB.
HMB Teaching and Resources Library
Find informative content such as guidelines, publications and images covering a range of HMB topics for educational use or your daily practice.
PALM COEIN
PALM-COEIN Classification: Causes and treatment of HMB
Learn more about the structural and non-structural causes of HMB as well as suitable treatment approaches.
References
- Munro MG, et al. BJOG 2017;124:185–9.
- Singh S, et al. J Obstet Gynaecol Can 2013;35(5_eSuppl):S1–S28.
- Munro MG, et al. BJOG 2017;124:185–9.
- Fraser I, et al. Int J Gynecol Obstet 2015;128:196–200.
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