Students missing studies due to menstruation let down by UK universities

UK university students lose six weeks of their degrees on average as a result of menstruation, but few universities are taking practical action against the “structural issue”.

Students who menstruate miss, on average, 10 study days per academic year. For those with diagnosed conditions like endometriosis or polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), this figure rises to 19 days – the equivalent of more than 11 weeks across a three-year degree.

The report – published by the Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI) – has revealed that the hidden impact of menstruation on students’ learning and wellbeing is “underestimated and under-supported.”

HEPI’s findings are based on survey responses from over 1,500 students. Of those surveyed, 70% reported being unable to concentrate during studies because of period pain, while 45% cited heavy bleeding as a contributing factor to concentration.

The report also found that one in six students who menstruate faced period poverty in the past year, with nearly half of those missing classes as a result.

Despite the widespread impact, only 15% of higher education institutions have any menstruation-related policies in place, and none of those surveyed had frameworks specifically aimed at students.

The report calls for institutions to take practical action – reviewing extension policies to include menstrual issues, enshrining the right to access free period products for those who need them, and providing comprehensive menstrual education for all students regardless of gender

Some students described concealing the reason for their absence due to stigma. One participant said: “I would say I have a headache rather than being on my period. I feel like people would look at me and think, ‘why are you a cry baby?’, rather than just getting on with it.”

Rose Stephenson, the report’s author and HEPI’s Director of Policy, said: “Menstrual health is not a niche concern. It is a structural issue that deserves thoughtful institutional and governmental responses.”

The report calls for institutions to take practical action – reviewing extension policies to include menstrual issues, enshrining the right to access free period products for those who need them, and providing comprehensive menstrual education for all students regardless of gender.

A national awareness campaign, ‘It’s Okay to Talk About Periods’, funded by the Department of Education, has also been proposed.

The University of East London is highlighted in the report as an example of good practice, having launched ‘The Shine Project’ – a university-wide screening programme for iron deficiency and heavy menstrual bleeding.

Professor Dame Sally Mapstone, President of Universities UK, supported the findings, stating that menstruation has “too often been framed as a source of embarrassment, invisibility or disadvantage”. She called on universities to examine how their policies may overlook the realities students face and to promote a “more humane and responsive academic culture.”