Upungufu wa damu ni wa kawaida, unaathiri takriban mtu 1 kati ya 4 duniani kote. Ni wa kawaida hasa kwa wanawake na wasichana wengi wanaopata hedhi. Hata kwa lishe ya kawaida, upotevu wa damu unaweza kupunguza kiwango cha chuma, ambacho kinahitajika kwa ajili ya seli nyekundu za damu. Bila chuma, hakutakuwa na seli nyekundu za damu zenye afya za kutosha, na kusababisha upungufu wa damu. Jaribio la WOMAN-3 linachunguza iwapo dawa inayoitwa asidi ya tranexamic, ambayo hupunguza kutokwa na damu wakati wa hedhi, inaweza pia kupunguza upungufu wa damu.

Anaemia is common, affecting about 1 in 4 people worldwide. it is particularly common among many women and girls who have periods. Even with a normal diet, the blood loss can lower the amount of iron , which is needed to red blood cells. Without it, there would not be enough healthy red blood cells, leading to anaemia. The WOMAN-3 Trial is investigating whether a drug called tranexamic acid that reduces menstrual bleeding can also reduce anaemia.