This paper reports a qualitative study of women's perceptions and experienc
e of menorrhagia. Having obtained ethics committee approval, and informed w
ritten consent, interviews were conducted with 30 women who reported that t
hey were suffering from menorrhagia. The sample included 13 women of South
Asian descent. Some of those interviewed did not want medical treatment for
menorrhagia. Other women were quite satisfied with the treatment they rece
ived when they consulted their doctors. However, it appears that some gener
al practitioners failed to recognize women's need for treatment and were sl
ow to comply with requests for referral to a gynaecologist, Although in the
past there has been justifiable concern about women who undergo unnecessar
y treatment fur perceived menorrhagia, this study suggests that health care
professionals should be aware that some women may experience menorrhagia f
or long periods of time without receiving effective Health care, It is poss
ible that those who volunteered for the study were those most likely to hav
e experienced problems with their treatment. However, the results of this s
tudy have implications for nurses, who may be in a position to give help an
d advice to women who want information about possible alternative treatment
s and sources of help for menorrhagia.