Association between menstrual pad usage, self-reported symptoms, and menstrual blood loss measured by the alkaline hematin method

This study found a discrepancy between self-reported and objectively measured heavy menstrual bleeding. Heavy menstrual bleeding is associated with greater pad usage per cycle, however there is overlap in pad usage between participants with normal and heavy menstrual bleeding. Accurate quantification of menstrual blood is crucial for clinical management and research, as self-reported measures may not reliably identify heavy menstrual bleeding.