ASPIRE REACH: The Overlooked Impact of Heavy Menstrual Bleeding in Perimenopausal Women in Low-Resource Settings

Gina Ogilvie of the BC Women's Health Foundation in Canada, with Carolyn Nakisige and Priscilla Naguti of the Uganda Cancer Institute in Uganda, will use community outreach to determine the prevalence and impact of heavy menstrual bleeding in women in rural Uganda, with a focus on better understanding the condition for perimenopausal women. Outreach will build on an existing mobile health program in Uganda for cervical cancer prevention and reproductive health. Village health teams will recruit 5,000 women, aged 30-49, across 15 villages. They will use a set of questionnaires to survey this age group, which includes women's transition to menopause (perimenopause) for which less is known about heavy menstrual bleeding. The survey will include assessment of the health, social, and economic impacts on women and their children; menstrual hygiene and product use; quality of life; and treatment availability and acceptability.