Netball star, Kiera Austin fronts national campaign to change the conversation around menstrual health
For decades, women have endured period pain and PMS as “just part of life.” But new Australian research and a national campaign fronted by professional netballer, Kiera Austin is helping to change the narrative.
Recently published in the International Journal of Women’s Health, a first Australian randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study has investigated a plant-based, non-hormonal option for menstrual wellbeing.
The research found that women taking Khapregesic®, an Australian-made oral supplement derived from the Khaya senegalensis tree, experienced:
- 45.8% reduction in menstrual pain (versus 19.5% for placebo);
- Nearly 200% greater improvement in emotional wellbeing compared with placebo; and
- 90% reduction in additional pain medication use after just one cycle.
The TGA-listed medicine, available in pharmacy under the Hey Sister! brand, is vegan, gluten-free, NSAID-free.
Kiera Austin opens up about PMS, performance, and the power of normalising menstrual health conversations
For professional netballer Kiera Austin, managing PMS and period pain has been part of her journey both on and off the court.
Commonwealth Games and Netball World Cup gold medallist shares how menstrual symptoms have affected her training, recovery, and focus; and why she’s speaking out to help break the stigma around menstrual health.
“PMS and period pain can affect not just your comfort, but your focus, energy, and performance,” says Austin. “If I’d heard conversations about this when I was younger, I wouldn’t have felt embarrassed [speaking about the topic]. Talking about menstrual health normalises the conversation, for athletes and for every woman.”
Experts call for greater menstrual literacy and access to evidence-based, non-hormonal options
Leading women’s health experts Dr Talat Uppal and Caroline Diamantis discuss the importance of improving menstrual literacy and broadening access to safe, non-hormonal options for PMS and period pain.
Dr Talat Uppal, Gynaecologist and Founder of Women’s Health Road, highlights the often-overlooked public health impact of menstrual disorders.
“Two billion women menstruate every month, yet menstrual pain and PMS are still dismissed. Many women assume their symptoms are ‘normal’ and don’t discuss them with healthcare professionals, which can negatively impact their quality of life, work, and mental health,” says Dr Uppal.
“Research exploring non-hormonal, plant-based approaches help broaden our understanding of menstrual wellbeing and supports informed decision-making between women, teenage girls, and their clinicians.”
Caroline Diamantis, National Vice President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia and a leading community pharmacist, adds the perspective of frontline healthcare delivery.
“Pharmacists are uniquely positioned to support menstrual wellbeing by combining clinical expertise with education, advocacy, and community outreach. Our knowledge, accessibility, and trust within communities enable us to address both practical and clinical aspects of menstruation, improving health outcomes and reducing stigma,” says Diamantis.
“With new supporting clinical evidence published in the International Journal of Women’s Health, Khapregesic® is available as a well-tolerated option for treating menstrual pain and PMS symptoms, including psychological distress. It’s a product I would feel confident recommending to appropriate patients.”
Together, they emphasise that menstrual health is not just a women’s issue, it is a public health priority and that evidence-based, accessible options are essential to empowering women to manage their symptoms confidently and to live well.
Rick Ferdinands on pioneering plant-based menstrual health solutions
Rick Ferdinands, Co-Founder and Head of Research at Bioactive Natural Health, shares the science and innovation behind Khapregesic®, a plant-based, non-hormonal option for PMS and period pain.
“The development of Khapregesic® began over a decade ago, inspired by women in my family experiencing painful, disruptive periods,” says Ferdinands.
Ferdinands explains how his team collaborated with Australian universities and the CSIRO to develop a patented extraction and processing technology, preserving the tree’s active compounds while ensuring sustainability and medicinal consistency.
“Disruption occurs in science when multiple disciplines come together. By combining plant biology, pharmaceutical science, and advanced processing, we’ve created Khapregesic®, a fast-acting, dual-action, ARTG-listed medicine that supports women’s menstrual wellbeing.”
He concludes by emphasising the importance of clinical research in validating natural solutions, giving women confidence in safe, non-hormonal alternatives.
Real Women, Real Voices: Changing the Conversation on Period Pain
Across Australia, women are speaking out about their experiences with menstrual pain and the importance of having natural, evidence-based options for relief. For Amanda and Prue, the journey to finding comfort has been one marked by strength, self-advocacy, and a shared belief that no woman should be told to simply “put up with it.”
Amanda, 42, from Canberra, has turned her own decades-long struggle into advocacy. After enduring severe pain, multiple surgeries, and years without answers, she was eventually diagnosed with extensive endometriosis during a hysterectomy. Now Australia’s only counsellor specialising in premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), Amanda is passionate about improving menstrual health literacy.
“There comes a point where desperation outweighs the stigma, you have to speak up,” she says.
“Finding a natural, hormone-free product that supports comfort can make a real difference.”
Prue, 42, a Perth banker and outdoor enthusiast, first experienced chronic menstrual pain at 14 and was later diagnosed with stage 3 endometriosis. After years of ineffective treatments, she came across Hey Sister! Khapregesic® online and noticed meaningful improvements.
“When I first started using Hey Sister! Khapregesic®, I wasn’t sure what to expect. But after a few months, I felt my symptoms were more manageable,” says Prue.
“Don’t just accept the pain. Be open to trying natural options, you deserve to feel better.”
From traditional medicine to biotech innovation
By combining traditional plant medicine with modern technology, Bioactive Natural Health were able to isolate and preserve the active compounds in Khaya senegalensis, a tree long used in West African herbal medicine, and validate its benefits through clinical research.
The team also developed a patented, sustainable harvesting process allowing trees to regenerate naturally while maintaining medicinal consistency.
About Khapregesic® (Hey Sister! PERIOD)
Khapregesic® is a plant-based, non-hormonal, NSAID-free oral treatment designed to support women experiencing menstrual pain (dysmenorrhoea) and premenstrual syndrome (PMS), including emotional and psychological symptoms. Developed under the Hey Sister! Life Range, it combines traditional herbal knowledge with modern scientific research.
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