National Women’s Migraine Survey
Understanding the Purpose, Criteria, and Who This Study Is Designed For
Thank you for your interest in the National Women’s Migraine Survey.
We’ve received thoughtful questions from members of our community about who is eligible, why certain criteria were set, and how the findings will be used. This page explains the intention, structure, and boundaries of the research so that everything is clear.
What Is This Survey?
The National Women’s Migraine Survey is a U.S.-based quantitative research study led by the Migraine World Summit.
It is designed to collect aggregated, de-identified insights about how women currently experiencing menstrual-related migraine:
- Identify and interpret their symptoms
- Recognize patterns and triggers
- Experience the impact on work, relationships, and daily life
- Navigate care and treatment decisions
This study is part of a broader women’s migraine health initiative supported by funding from Pfizer. Pfizer has no role in managing the survey and does not have access to individual responses. All responses are confidential and reported only in aggregate.
The survey is not promotional and is not connected to a specific medication.
Why Are We Conducting This Research?
This survey is intended to serve as a foundational quantitative study. The findings will:
- Identify knowledge gaps and barriers in care
- Shape messaging across a broader women’s migraine campaign
- Inform a white paper
- Deliver media-relevant insights into unmet needs
- Strengthen future advocacy and educational initiatives
Our goal is to better understand real-world experiences and ensure that women’s menstrual-related migraine is recognized, measured, and addressed appropriately.
Who Is Eligible to Participate?
To participate, you must:
- Be a U.S. resident
- Be 18 years of age or older
- Currently menstruate at least 6 times per year
You can take the survey here >>
The survey takes approximately 7 minutes to complete.
Why Are the Criteria So Specific?
Research studies are often intentionally narrow. This allows researchers to answer one clearly defined question within a specific population.
In this case, the study focuses on women who are actively experiencing menstrual cycles because:
- Clinical definitions of menstrual migraine are tied to the timing of menstrual bleeding.
International diagnostic criteria define menstrual migraine relative to the onset of menses. - The survey measures current cycle-based patterns.
Questions assess present predictability, severity, treatment response, and healthcare interactions in relation to an active menstrual cycle. - Including those who do not currently menstruate would change the study design.
It would require retrospective recall or a different hormonal framework, which introduces variability and reduces comparability with established criteria.
Tight inclusion criteria strengthen the scientific reliability of the findings, even though they may feel restrictive.
If You Are Not Eligible, Here’s Why
We understand that some individuals may feel excluded. That does not diminish the importance of your experience.
Below are the most common questions we’ve received.
I Am Over 50 and Still Experience Migraine
This study focuses on women in reproductive years who currently menstruate. Migraine in perimenopause and post-menopause is extremely important and warrants dedicated research. This study addresses one specific segment of that broader picture.
I Am Post-Menopausal or Had a Hysterectomy
We have heard from women whose menstrual-related migraine was severe and life-altering, including those whose surgical decisions were influenced by it.
Your experience is valid and meaningful.
This survey, however, measures current-cycle patterns. Asking participants to respond based on past experiences would require retrospective recall, which changes the nature of the data and introduces bias.
That does not mean your history is irrelevant. It means this study addresses present-cycle measurement.
I Use Continuous Birth Control and Do Not Bleed
Some women use hormonal contraception to prevent hormonally triggered migraine. That is clinically relevant.
For this study, menstrual bleeding serves as a consistent clinical anchor for identifying the perimenstrual window. Because the survey questions assess current timing and predictability relative to active cycles, participation is limited to those who currently menstruate.
Hormonally mediated migraine outside visible bleeding is important and may require its own dedicated research design.
I Am Under 18 and Menstruate
Ethical research standards require additional consent and oversight for minors. Because of regulatory requirements and study design constraints, participation is limited to adults 18 and older.
Adolescent migraine is important and has distinct characteristics. It requires separate research frameworks.
I Don’t Live in the United States
Healthcare systems, insurance structures, treatment access, and prescribing patterns vary significantly across countries.
Because this study evaluates care experiences and treatment pathways, limiting participation to U.S. residents ensures consistency in healthcare context.
Future international research may explore these differences more broadly.
I Am a Man Who Experiences Migraine
Men experience migraine at meaningful rates, and their experiences matter.
This particular survey focuses on menstrual-related migraine, which by definition involves menstruation. That focus does not reduce the importance of migraine in men; it simply reflects the defined research question.
Why Six or More Menstrual Cycles Per Year?
Regular menstruation provides a measurable framework for evaluating cycle-based migraine patterns. Fewer than six cycles per year often reflects irregular cycles, suppression, or hormonal transition, which would require a different questionnaire structure and analytic model.
The threshold ensures that participants are actively experiencing menstrual cycles in a way that allows consistent measurement.
How Will the Data Be Used?
Responses are:
- Confidential
- Aggregated
- De-identified
Individual responses are not shared. Insights will be combined with others and reported in summary form.
The findings will inform educational materials, advocacy efforts, and a white paper examining unmet needs in menstrual-related migraine care.
We plan to share high-level insights with our community once analysis is complete.
A Final Note
If you were not eligible, we understand that this may feel frustrating. Exclusion in research does not reflect exclusion in importance.
This study addresses one defined group so that the results are scientifically reliable and actionable. Menstrual migraine across different life stages, hormonal contexts, and geographies remains deeply important and deserving of continued attention.
Thank you for your engagement, your questions, and your commitment to improving migraine care.
