General questions and answers

why are my answers important?

The Million Women Study aims to provide information which is relevant to all women. To do this as many women as possible, from all walks of life and from all over the UK need to take part. You may think that because you are very healthy/not using hormone replacement therapy/a lifelong non-smoker etc, your answers are not important. In fact, the opposite is true; the only way the study can obtain reliable information about the factors affecting women’s health is to get information from a whole range of different types of women, with different experiences, lifestyles, diets and family histories.

CAN I JOIN THE STUDY IF I DIDN’T RECEIVE A QUESTIONNAIRE? 

Recruitment into the main Million Women Study has finished. 

HOW CAN I FIND OUT WHAT THE MILLION WOMEN STUDY HAS FOUND OUT SO FAR? 

Our news items describe our research results and this publications page lists the papers and research findings produced from The Million Women Study data. 

I NEED SOME ADVICE ABOUT MY HEALTH 

The Million Women Study cannot advise individual women about hormone replacement therapy, or any other health issues. Anyone with any questions or concerns should contact their general practitioner or other health professional.

I HAVE BEEN invited to take part in additional research, what happens next? 

If you have been asked to provide a blood or saliva sample, please see the Disease Susceptibility in Women study for more information.

If you have any other questions, please phone our helpline 0800 262872 and leave a message with your contact details. We will call you back.

WHAT INFORMATION IS HELD ABOUT ME, HOW IS IT USED AND HOW IS IT KEPT SECURE? 

Information held includes study questionnaires (postal and email) and data derived from them; linked medical record data for follow-up; blood samples and derived genetic and biochemical data for women in the Disease Susceptibility Study; and records of correspondence with participants. Please see our privacy notice for a full explanation. 

do you share my data?

Most of the analyses are done by the Million Women Study team. We have a controlled data access policy which means that selected external medical researchers may also use study data, to maximise the benefits of the study.  We share only anonymised or pseudonymised data, under strict regulation.

how can i opt out of the study?

Options for withdrawing from the Million Women Study are shown on the Opt out options page.