- Infano Women's Health | Lifestyle | Success Stories Why Period Pain And Discomfort Should Not Always Be Labelled As Normal

Highlights

Dysmenorrhea or cramps are one of the most common side effects of menstruation.

If cramps affect one’s ability to do everyday activities, seeking medical advice as soon as possible is advisable.

Normalisation of pain during periods can lead to people going undiagnosed from conditions such as endometriosis.

Spread the love

The experience of having periods differs from menstruator to menstruator. For many, the menstrual cycle typically starts between the ages of 11 and 14, with the average cycle being around 28 to 34 days. It can be light and painless for some while heavy and painful for others, but what might be completely normal for one might just be a cause of concern for the other. While some side effects during one’s period are considered usual, it is important to remember that one shouldn’t accept all pain during their menstrual cycle as normal and acceptable.

Dysmenorrhea or cramps are one of the most common side effects of menstruation. Cramps during periods are caused by an excess of a hormone-like compound called prostaglandins, which is released from the endometrium (uterine lining) as it prepares to be shed. It helps the uterus contract and relax so that the uterine lining can break down and flow out of one’s body. If the uterus contracts strongly, blood flow is reduced, and the supply of oxygen to the uterus muscle tissue decreases, causing one to have painful cramps. If a typical painkiller isn’t enough to ease the pain of your cramps, and if your cramps affect your ability to do everyday activities, it is best to seek out medical advice as soon as possible.

While many experience pain, normalisation of this pain during periods can lead to people going undiagnosed from conditions such as endometriosis. Endometriosis is a condition where the womb’s inner lining develops outside the uterus. According to the Endometriosis Society of India, about 25 million Indian women suffer from endometriosis.

The Endometriosis Society of India states that endometriosis can cause heavy or scanty menstrual flow spotting before the periods and painful sex. Irregular bowel habits such as diarrhoea or constipation can also occur, and a person may also be subjected to pain during passing stool or urine. According to the Endometriosis Society of India, childlessness is associated with endometriosis in about 20- 40 percent of the cases. Endometriosis can be diagnosed by MRI, ultrasound, and transvaginal scans and treated medically or surgically.

It’s high time we start talking about periods and period pain more openly. This #MenstrualHygieneDay, #Infano along with #TheLogicalIndian, is addressing nuanced conversations on period centering on the well being of the menstruators as they power through every day.

The information provided in the article, while collated with utmost care and caution, does not amount to any medical diagnosis. The Logical Indian and Infano team urge people to reach out to their medical practitioner in case of any query that they may have.

Spread the love

October 2 6 , 2020

Nikita Tomar, a 21-year-old girl from Haryana, was shot dead in Faridabad, because she refused to marry the accused. Nikita was being forced to convert and marry the accused, Tauseef. He was angry at Nikita as she had stopped taking his calls and responding to his messages.

October 2 6 , 2020

Malvi Malhotra, a 29-year-old actress, was stabbed by a Yogesh Mahipal Singh allegedly in Andheri’s Versova area, for turning down his marriage proposal.

October 27, 2020

Two unidentified men on a bike attacked a woman, threw acid, in Haryana’s Panipat. The incident was captured on CCTV camera.

These are just 3 incidents of violence reported in a matter of 5 days this week. Such cases of lovers being rejected and attacking women with weapons or acid are absolutely not new to us.

What are we doing wrong while bringing up our boys that they are unable to handle rejection from a girl? How are we breeding murderers instead of empathetic human beings?

Let’s stop raising men with the Raja Beta Syndrome

These are perhaps men who have been brought up with conditioning so dangerous that they think women are objects to be owned, just like the toys, gadgets, bikes, and cars. They feel they are entitled to all that they desire for and not acquiring it makes them go into a fit of rage. This has probably been going on from their childhood where denial has led them to throw a fit and parents would have given in. Thus they have never understood refusal or denial.

They do not understand the word ‘NO’. Mothers mollycoddle their raja betas to the extent where they are fed, pampered, not allowed to do housework. And breeds in them a sense of superiority where they think that being born as a man itself is enough for the world to be at their feet. How dare I not get this? Where fathers have been using the wives as slaves to serve them and the son grows up seeing all this and believing that Main toh mard hoon, yeh sab mera adhikar hai.

Handling Rejection and Dejection

What’s petrifying is that this behavior then extends from objects towards human beings. This violent streak is often unleashed upon the opposite sex as they have been made to believe that women are their subordinates, and things to own. Woh meri hai, aise kaise usey jaane dun? Or agar woh meri nahi ho sakti toh kisi aur ki bhi nahi hogi, so let me deface her with acid or better still kill her, because how dare she reject me? Me, who has always got whatever I have asked for since childhood. Me, who is a MAN, so how dare a woman reject me?

This stems from years of a patriarchal set up in society and family and the roots are so deep that it cannot change overnight. Equating women to conquests is a primitive mentality that stems from a mix of power, ego, and anger. This requires a complete shift in the thought process and mentality of both men and women to make a change in the workings of a family and upbringing of children where girls and boys are raised with respect for each other and given equal opportunities, duties, and responsibilities growing up. Where men are taught kindness, consent, to handle rejection, loss, defeats, and to address their emotions and insecurities in a healthy manner. Where men see women as their peers and equals.

Also Read | Why is male anger targeted towards women?

Infano condemns such acts and invites reader opinion on the same. Tell us how you feel about this in the comments. #InfanoOpinion