Yesterday, on Tuesday 8th September, we attended the Freshers’ Fairs at both the University of St Andrews and Edinburgh Napier University to raise awareness of bleeding disorders in women and girls. Our stalls featured a range of materials, including information on the signs and symptoms of bleeding disorders, guidance on what constitutes a heavy period, details about our women’s group, the Haemophilia Society’s Underserved, Overlooked report on gender inequalities in healthcare, and information about our advocacy and financial wellbeing services. We also used beakers to visually demonstrate the difference between normal and abnormal menstrual blood loss, which proved to be an effective way to start open conversations with students.
Engagement at St Andrews was particularly strong with 241 meaningful conversations and an estimated footfall of around 4,000. Two students disclosed existing bleeding disorders and many women shared experiences of long delays in receiving diagnoses for gynaecological conditions. Strikingly, around 90% of the women we spoke to felt they had not been listened to or taken seriously by healthcare professionals. At Edinburgh Napier, we spoke with around 100 students, with similar themes emerging around delayed diagnosis and feeling overlooked within healthcare settings. Footfall there was estimated at around 2,000.
Across both universities, we made valuable connections with individuals and groups interested in collaborating to improve awareness and support for women and girls with a bleeding disorder. Our outreach continues next week on Wednesday 16th September, when we will be at the University of Strathclyde Freshers’ Fair to continue to raise awareness.
This work has been made possible through funding from The Women’s Fund for Scotland, whose support enables us to reach more women and girls across the country and help ensure their experiences are recognised, understood, and acted upon.
