A Scottish postal survey suggested that the prevailing clinical preoccupation with heavy periods does not reflect the epidemiology of reported symptoms and problems

Reporting heavy or painful periods was common but reporting problem periods was less so. Reporting severe pain was at least as strongly associated with problem periods as very heavy periods and severe pain affected many more women than very heavy periods. Therefore the clinical preoccupation with heavy periods does not reflect the epidemiology of menstrual symptoms or problem.