Did you know there’s no such thing as period pain?

How many times have you heard someone say period cramps are a figment of your imagination? They are non-existent. You are over-exaggerating!

Ever since I remember I have heard people at home or at the workplace callously making fun of the pain I was going through. Often they would say, “I am seeking sympathy” or “it’s totally unreal”. There were times when I doubted the unbearable pain I was experiencing. I questioned myself if it was really my doing?

Thankfully that phase of self-doubt didn’t last long. I know I am not kidding when I go through those excruciating and mind-numbing first days of my period pain. And I know you’re not kidding either. The pain you feel is real.

There are women who feel nothing and then there are those who can’t get out of their beds because the pain is REAL.

A few weeks ago our team conducted an online poll on period pain. The participation was overwhelming with nearly 11000 people responding to our survey.

When asked where have they heard that “there’s no such thing as period pain”? 37% of the respondents said at work while 63% said with family and friends. We further asked, “Do you think women fake period pain at work”? 87% said NO while 13% responded with a YES.

We received multiple emails and messages of women and men sharing their anecdotes on period pain. One of the most interesting was by a man named Anish Arjuna, a video producer based out of Hyderabad, India. He said, “Period pain is something which men can never bear, our threshold of pain is way too low than that of what a woman can bear. There was a time when we had put period pain stimulators and my wife stood like a rock while I was literally on the floor begging my friend to stop the simulator.”

Period pain is something which men can never bear, our threshold of pain is way too low than that of what a woman can bear. There was a time when we had put period pain stimulators and my wife stood like a rock while I was literally on the floor begging my friend to stop the simulator

Anish Arjuna, Video Producer, India

Scientifically speaking period pain are caused by prostaglandins. It’s a chemical a woman’s body produces to make the muscles of the uterus contract. Generally, period pain starts a day before or during the periods’ and they usually last for two to three days. Some may experience a prolonged phase of pain and some, shorter depending on different body types.

However one must note, if the cramps are severe and are accompanied by fever, vomiting, dizziness, unusual vaginal bleeding and discharge, or if the pain is especially very very intense and even after medicine the pain doesn’t subside, consult the doctor now. It’s always better to maintain precaution than look for a cure.

The medical community has long ignored what can be a debilitating affliction because it’s a problem that mostly inconveniences women

John Guillebaud, professor of reproductive health at University College London

In 2016, Quartz published an article on period pain that said some women experience menstruation pains that are “almost as bad as having a heart attack.” John Guillebaud, who is a professor of reproductive health at University College London, spoke to Quartz on the subject and said that the medical community has long ignored what can be a debilitating affliction because it’s a problem that mostly inconveniences women.

So if your period causes immense pain, don’t grimace and bear it: Tell your doctor, your friends, your colleagues. We need to talk about period pain long and loudly enough for doctors to finally do something about it.

Written by Prakriti S

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