Quantification of menstrual blood loss

Menorrhagia is one of the most significant causes of ill health in women. It accounts for a significant number of gynaecological outpatient referrals and once referred to a gynaecologist, more than half of these women will have had a hysterectomy within five years. Objective menorrhagia is taken to be a total measured menstrual blood loss in excess of 80 millilitres per cycle. The objective diagnosis of menorrhagia can pose a clinical challenge. This article reviews the different methods currently used for the objective estimation of menstrual blood loss.