For millions of women across the United States, heavy menstrual bleeding is not just a monthly inconvenience — it is a life-altering condition that forces them to make silent, exhausting adjustments every single day. Some layer multiple pads at once. Others set alarms through the night. One woman, a state legislator, reportedly worked from her bathtub with a laptop for several days because her flow was too heavy to leave the bathroom. Now, a new partnership between Always and The Fibroid Foundation is stepping up to change that reality.
The two organizations have joined forces to launch a heavy menstrual bleeding resource hub on The Fibroid Foundation’s website, alongside the debut of the Always Maxi Size 6 — the brand’s longest and most absorbent pad to date, built specifically for women with heavier flow. Together, these efforts aim to educate women, reduce stigma, and connect those who are suffering with the care and tools they actually need.
Always Maxi Size 6: The Pad Designed for Heavy Flow That Women Have Been Waiting For
The Always Maxi Size 6 is 20 percent more absorbent than the brand’s previous Size 5 pad. It features leak-guard barrier cuffs along the sides, designed specifically for clot and gush defense, and an oversized back panel that is approximately three times larger than that of a standard Size 2 pad. This is not just a bigger pad — it is a product born out of deep, intentional research into the lived experiences of women with heavy periods.
Always scientist Rachel Zipperian shared that the brand’s research team conducted in-home visits, sitting with real women in their own spaces and listening to stories that fundamentally shifted the urgency behind the project. Women showed the team exactly how they arranged multiple pads inside their underwear to get enough coverage. Others described blood clots falling from their pads during exercise classes, with the embarrassment being so intense that it stopped them from ever returning to the gym.
“That story about the woman working in the bathtub — that really was transformative,” Zipperian said. “The research team came back and said, ‘We need to do this, and we need to do it quickly.'”
When the Size 6 was previewed at a recent Fibroid Foundation Summit, the response from attendees was immediate and emotional. “To see women with fibroids see the Size 6 product for the first time and just light up and say, ‘This was made for me,'” Zipperian recalled, “as a product designer working in this category, that’s just very impactful for us.”
What Are Uterine Fibroids and Why Do They Cause Heavy Menstrual Bleeding?
Uterine fibroids are benign tumors that grow in or on the uterus. They are the most common benign gynecologic tumors in women and one of the leading causes of heavy menstrual bleeding. According to the National Institutes of Health, ultrasound evidence shows that more than 80 percent of Black women and approximately 70 percent of white women will develop fibroids by age 50. Beyond heavy bleeding, fibroids can also lead to anemia, pelvic pain, urinary problems, and infertility.
Despite being this widespread, fibroids remain widely misunderstood — and even more widely dismissed. Many women endure their symptoms for years before seeking medical help, largely because heavy periods have been normalized in so many households and communities. Some women never seek help at all, assuming that what they are experiencing is simply what periods are supposed to feel like.
Part of the problem, according to The Fibroid Foundation’s founder Sateria Venable, goes back decades. The clinical definition of a “normal” period — set at 80 milliliters of blood loss per cycle — originated from a 1960s study conducted on just 476 women, all from Sweden. It did not include women from other countries, other ethnic backgrounds, or with varying estrogen levels, and it completely failed to account for heavy menstrual bleeding as an outlier condition.
“That amount of blood loss was adopted into all of the medical training that we see today,” Venable explained. “These conversations are helping to change that dynamic and change the expectations around what a normal period is, because it varies greatly from person to person.”
The Fibroid Foundation’s Mission: From Personal Struggle to Global Advocacy
Sateria Venable founded The Fibroid Foundation after her own painful and frustrating experience with fibroids. She was diagnosed at age 26, following years of heavy, painful periods she had believed were completely normal — partly because she had watched her own mother go through the same thing, cycling through multiple pads and tampons and simply pushing through the pain.
“We normalize it,” Venable says. “I thought that was my plight as well.”
When Venable finally sought answers, her OB-GYN offered no real explanation and presented only a hysterectomy as a solution. A second surgeon punctured her uterus during a procedure and removed nothing. Since then, she has undergone four procedures in total, including an open myomectomy and an embolization — with the fibroids returning within a year each time. At her lowest point, her hemoglobin had dropped to 7, roughly half the healthy level of 12, leaving her so anemic she could barely walk short distances without losing her breath. And yet, she still showed up to manage a construction crew of 300 people.
Today, The Fibroid Foundation has a reach spanning more than 180 countries. Venable advocates strongly for what she calls shared decision-making: women arriving at their appointments with a written list of their top concerns, working with their provider to build a care plan around their priorities, and having that conversation while still fully clothed — before the hospital gown goes on — because that setting matters for confidence and clarity.
New Resource Hub Aims to Close the Information Gap on Heavy Menstrual Bleeding
As part of this partnership, a dedicated heavy menstrual bleeding resource hub has been developed on The Fibroid Foundation’s website. The hub offers educational materials for women who suspect something may be wrong but are not sure where to start, including questions to bring to a healthcare provider, a breakdown of symptoms to watch for, and clear next steps for getting care.
This kind of accessible, plain-language information is critical, because fear remains one of the biggest barriers to treatment. The Fibroid Foundation regularly hears from women across its global network who are afraid of surgery, unsure who to trust, and confused by conflicting advice. Venable stresses that a hysterectomy is not the only option — in fact, a member of the foundation’s own medical advisory board has successfully removed 56 fibroids from a single patient while keeping her uterus fully intact.
“Women and menstruators shouldn’t be penalized for suffering through heavy menstrual bleeding,” Venable says. “They should really be revered for tackling careers and taking care of families while they’re feeling unwell.”
How This Partnership Is Shifting the Conversation in Medicine and Culture
The collaboration between Always and The Fibroid Foundation is also beginning to create ripples within the medical community itself. Always has attended major conferences, including those hosted by the American College of Gynecology, where more physicians are reportedly asking questions about heavy bleeding and engaging with the topic in ways that were uncommon before. Zipperian, who is the mother of a 20-year-old and an 18-year-old, notes that the generational shift is even visible at home.
“Their generation is unapologetic, and I love that they are talking about this stuff on social media,” she said. “They don’t seem to have the same level of embarrassment and timidness that I experienced in my generation.”
Furthermore, the foundation’s advocacy has already made its way into the medical training pipeline. Data from a national fibroid study that the organization contributed to has been incorporated into medical board exams for gynecology, meaning that real patient experiences are now directly shaping how the next generation of gynecologists is trained.
“To partner with an industry leader in menstrual care will help us to really expand the conversation, the access and the care of patients beyond what our organization could do alone,” Venable said.
Upcoming Events and How to Access the New Fibroid Foundation Resources
Looking ahead, The Fibroid Foundation has two significant events on the calendar. On May 12, the foundation will host Fibroid Day UK at the University of Cambridge. Then, on May 19, the organization will return to Capitol Hill alongside U.S. Rep. Grace Meng and U.S. Rep. Yvette Clarke for its third annual National Menstrual Health Awareness Day — a powerful reminder that this issue extends well beyond personal health into the realm of public policy.
For women who suspect they may be dealing with heavy menstrual bleeding or fibroids, the starting point is simple. The new resource hub is available at FibroidFoundation.org/HMB, where visitors can find provider questions, symptom guides, and information about available treatments. The Always Maxi Size 6 is also now available for purchase.
As Venable puts it simply: “We all should have a good quality of life.”
