Let’s Talk Guts: It’s time to join the conversation!

Today marks the very first day of Guts UK’s Let’s Talk Guts campaign. From Monday 13 to Sunday 19 July, the national charity for the digestive system is on a mission to flush away the stigma surrounding our digestive health and get the nation talking about their guts.

What is Let’s Talk Guts?

Let’s Talk Guts is a week-long campaign focused on the power of conversation. Despite digestive symptoms and conditions affecting millions of people across the UK, there is still a taboo when it comes to our gut health. Many people hide their symptoms, pain, bloating or toilet habits out of embarrassment or fear of judgement, leading them to suffer in silence and alone.

The campaign aims to break down this stigma, normalise conversations around our digestive health, and empower everyone to speak up and seek the help they need – whether that’s talking openly with family and friends or colleagues and employers, or feeling confident to navigate a GP appointment.

Why the Let’s Talk Guts campaign matters

To mark the start of our Let’s Talk Guts campaign, we’re sharing the results of a new public poll that highlights exactly why breaking the silence around gut health is so important. The poll, carried out by YouGov on behalf of Guts UK*, reveals that:

We are suffering in silence

Nearly half of UK adults (42%) have experienced persistent digestive symptoms, yet less than half (47%) feel comfortable talking to family or friends about their digestive health. Shockingly, less than 4% feel comfortable speaking to their employer about the symptoms.

We are delaying seeking the medical help we need

A quarter of UK adults (25%) with persistent digestive health symptoms waited more than six months after symptoms first started before seeking help. People are holding back because they think symptoms will go away on their own (24%), don’t think they are serious (21%), or because they feel too embarrassed (7%). Alarmingly, 11% of UK adults experiencing persistent symptoms have still not sought help at all.

The emotional toll is high

Public stigma and a lack of open conversations have left nearly 1 in 5 adults (19%) experiencing negative feelings about their symptoms. Among those who have experienced digestive symptoms, 40% have felt anxious, 38% worried, 28% embarrassed and 28% uncertain.

Online misinformation poses a real risk

More than half of people (56%) turn to search engines and AI overviews for health information, and 22% take to social media. However, nearly a fifth (19%) admit they are not confident in verifying if that online health information is accurate.

We aren’t checking a key indicator of our health – our poo

Only 22% of people check their poo regularly, with 21% of people not checking it at all and only 39% checking it “from time to time”. Regularly checking your poo helps you know your normal and spot when something is wrong.

Our free resources can help you join the conversation and get to know your gut better

Whatever your relationship with your digestive health, we have tailored free, digital resources you can trust, plus plenty of ways for you to get involved in Let’s Talk Guts this July.

If you want to learn more about your digestive health, want to start a conversation about your guts, or want to better support a loved one:

• Head to the Let’s Talk Guts resource hub: Access our resource hub for a range of tools to help you better understand your gut. Whether it’s being able to spot common digestive symptoms and when to seek help, or making small health and lifestyle changes to support your gut health, we’ve got you covered.
• Have a Gut Together: Download our free digital guide, packed with conversation starters, myth-busters and question prompts to help you kick-start chats with family, friends, colleagues and others around you.
• Host a Coffee Morning Conversations fundraiser: Gather your community, friends or colleagues for a coffee anytime in July. Grab a cuppa and a slice of cake, have a good natter about your guts, and help raise vital funds for Guts UK.
• Support a loved one: Our tailored resources provide practical ways to support a loved one. Whether that’s texting to check in, choosing restaurants near toilet facilities or simply listening without judgement, Let’s Talk Guts has plenty of empowering resources to help you best support someone you know with a digestive condition and symptoms.

If you are living with a digestive condition or symptoms:

• Spill Your Guts: We’re asking you to be bold and brave by sharing your personal experiences on social media using the hashtag #LetsTalkGuts. Whether it’s a short video, a photo and caption, or a text-based post, sharing your story helps make the invisible, visible. You know first-hand why talking about your guts is so important, so encourage others to speak up and remind them that they aren’t alone.
• Use our Traffic Light Cards: These cards are designed to show those around you how you are feeling without having to explain yourself repeatedly. It helps you to signal to a loved one how you’re feeling on a “red”, “yellow” or “green” day and what you might need from them. There’s a handy guide to share with family and friends to help them understand and support you in the right way.

Check your poo with our Poo-Torial tool

Use our free Poo-Torial tool to get to grips with what your poo says about your health, including the colour, consistency and frequency. Learn to know your normal and spot the signs of when you may need to speak to a doctor or seek medical help.

Join the conversation on social media

You can help us smash the stigma that surrounds our guts from your phone or laptop. Head over to your favourite social media platforms and get stuck in:

• Follow us: Search ‘gutscharityuk’ to catch campaign updates, trusty tips and community stories all week long.
• Join the conversation: Use the hashtag #LetsTalkGuts. Share your own experiences, post a photo of your Coffee Morning Conversations fundraiser, or simply re-share our posts to help us reach those who may need us most, but don’t yet know we exist.

* All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 2,115 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 17-18 June 2026. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all UK adults (aged 18+).

We’re here for you

Guts UK is the national charity for the digestive system. We provide information and support on more than 40 digestive conditions and symptoms, as well as health and lifestyle.

Our hopes for the future are big. Imagine a world where digestive conditions are better understood, better treated and everyone who lives with one gets the support they need.

If you are struggling with your guts and need someone to talk to, please know that Guts UK is in your corner.

Need information and support right now?

If you’re affected by digestive conditions or symptoms and don’t know where to turn, you can contact our Helpline on 0300 102 4887 or complete our online enquiry form.