Why do women experience extreme tiredness during menstruation. How can heavy periods impact daily life. What are the underlying medical conditions that may cause period fatigue. When should you seek medical attention for menstrual exhaustion.

The Impact of Heavy Periods on Women’s Health

Menstrual cycles are a natural part of a woman’s life, but for some, they can be accompanied by debilitating fatigue and weakness. This phenomenon, often referred to as period fatigue, affects a significant number of women worldwide. In fact, approximately one in three women seek treatment for heavy periods, known medically as menorrhagia. Understanding the causes and implications of feeling weak during menstruation is crucial for maintaining overall health and well-being.

Defining Heavy Periods

How do you know if your period is considered heavy? Heavy menstrual bleeding is characterized by several factors:

• Soaking through at least one sanitary product every hour
• Needing to use both a pad and tampon simultaneously
• Having to wake up during the night to change sanitary products
• Bleeding that lasts more than a week
• Passing large blood clots
• Interference with normal daily activities

If you experience these symptoms, it’s important not to ignore them, as they could be indicators of underlying health issues.

The Connection Between Heavy Periods and Fatigue

Why do heavy periods often lead to extreme tiredness? The primary reason is the significant blood loss that occurs during menorrhagia. This can lead to a decrease in iron levels, potentially resulting in anemia. Additionally, the hormonal fluctuations that occur during the menstrual cycle, particularly the drop in estrogen levels, can contribute to feelings of fatigue and weakness.

When Fatigue Becomes a Concern

While some level of tiredness during menstruation is normal, persistent or extreme fatigue that interferes with daily life should not be ignored. How can you differentiate between normal period fatigue and a more serious condition? If your exhaustion lasts beyond a few days after your period starts or if it’s accompanied by other symptoms like dizziness, shortness of breath, or heart palpitations, it’s time to consult a healthcare professional.

Underlying Medical Conditions Contributing to Period Fatigue

Feeling weak during your period isn’t always just a normal part of menstruation. In some cases, it can be a sign of an underlying medical condition. Let’s explore some of these potential causes:

Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) and Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD)

Many women experience PMS, a combination of physical and emotional symptoms that occur before and during menstruation. How does PMS differ from normal menstrual symptoms? PMS tends to be more severe and can significantly disrupt daily life. Symptoms may include:

• Extreme fatigue
• Mood swings
• Bloating
• Breast tenderness
• Headaches

In some cases, women may experience Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD), an even more severe form of PMS that requires medical attention. PMDD can cause intense mood swings, depression, and fatigue that significantly impact quality of life.

Iron Deficiency Anemia: A Common Culprit of Period Fatigue

One of the most frequent causes of extreme tiredness during menstruation is iron deficiency anemia. This condition occurs when the body doesn’t have enough healthy red blood cells to carry oxygen effectively. Heavy periods can lead to significant blood loss, depleting the body’s iron stores and potentially resulting in anemia.

Recognizing the Symptoms of Iron Deficiency Anemia

How can you tell if your period fatigue might be due to iron deficiency anemia? Look out for these symptoms:

• Extreme tiredness and weakness
• Pale skin
• Shortness of breath
• Heart palpitations
• Dizziness
• Brittle nails

If you suspect you might have iron deficiency anemia, it’s important to consult with a healthcare provider. They can perform a blood test to check your iron levels and recommend appropriate treatment, which may include iron supplements and dietary changes.

Thyroid Disorders and Their Impact on Menstrual Health

The thyroid gland plays a crucial role in regulating metabolism and energy levels. Disorders of this small butterfly-shaped gland in the neck can significantly impact menstrual health and overall energy levels.

Hypothyroidism: When the Thyroid Underperforms

Hypothyroidism, or an underactive thyroid, occurs when the thyroid gland doesn’t produce enough hormones. This condition can lead to a range of symptoms, including:

• Extreme fatigue
• Weight gain
• Depression
• Irregular or heavy periods
• Muscle weakness

Approximately 15 in 1000 women in the UK suffer from hypothyroidism. If you’re experiencing persistent fatigue along with these symptoms, it’s worth discussing thyroid function with your healthcare provider.

Hyperthyroidism: When the Thyroid Overperforms

On the other hand, hyperthycharlestroidism occurs when the thyroid gland produces an excess of hormones. While this condition is less common, it can also affect menstrual health and energy levels. Symptoms of hyperthyroidism may include:

• Unexplained weight loss
• Rapid heartbeat
• Increased sweating
• Anxiety
• Light or infrequent periods

Both hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism can be diagnosed through blood tests and managed with appropriate medical treatment.

Lifestyle Factors Contributing to Period Fatigue

While medical conditions can certainly contribute to feeling weak during menstruation, lifestyle factors also play a significant role. Understanding and addressing these factors can help alleviate period fatigue and improve overall well-being.

Diet and Nutrition

What you eat can have a significant impact on your energy levels during menstruation. A diet low in iron, vitamin B12, and other essential nutrients can exacerbate period fatigue. To combat this:

• Increase intake of iron-rich foods like lean meats, leafy greens, and legumes
• Consume foods high in vitamin B12, such as eggs, dairy products, and fortified cereals
• Stay hydrated to help combat fatigue and bloating
• Limit caffeine and alcohol, which can interfere with sleep and hydration

Sleep and Stress Management

Poor sleep quality and high stress levels can worsen period symptoms, including fatigue. How can you improve sleep and manage stress during your menstrual cycle?

• Maintain a consistent sleep schedule, even during your period
• Create a relaxing bedtime routine to improve sleep quality
• Practice stress-reduction techniques like meditation or yoga
• Consider gentle exercise, which can boost energy and reduce menstrual discomfort

When to Seek Medical Attention for Period Fatigue

While some level of fatigue during menstruation is normal, there are instances when it’s crucial to consult a healthcare provider. When should you seek medical attention for period-related exhaustion?

• If fatigue is severe enough to interfere with daily activities
• If you experience extreme weakness, dizziness, or fainting
• If fatigue is accompanied by heavy bleeding that soaks through a pad or tampon every hour
• If you notice sudden changes in your menstrual pattern or fatigue levels
• If fatigue persists beyond your menstrual period

Remember, your menstrual health is an important indicator of your overall well-being. Don’t hesitate to discuss concerns with a healthcare professional.

Treatment Options for Period-Related Fatigue and Weakness

Addressing period fatigue often involves a multifaceted approach, targeting both the symptoms and underlying causes. What are some effective treatment options for managing weakness and exhaustion during menstruation?

Medical Interventions

Depending on the underlying cause of your period fatigue, your healthcare provider may recommend:

• Iron supplements for iron deficiency anemia
• Hormonal birth control to regulate menstrual flow and reduce heavy bleeding
• Thyroid medication for thyroid disorders
• Antidepressants or anti-anxiety medications for severe PMS or PMDD
• Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) to reduce menstrual pain and heavy bleeding

Lifestyle Modifications

In addition to medical treatments, certain lifestyle changes can significantly improve period-related fatigue:

• Regular exercise to boost energy levels and reduce menstrual discomfort
• Stress-reduction techniques like mindfulness meditation or deep breathing exercises
• Adequate sleep and rest, especially during menstruation
• A balanced diet rich in iron, vitamins, and minerals
• Staying hydrated throughout your menstrual cycle

Alternative Therapies

Some women find relief from period fatigue through alternative therapies. While scientific evidence varies, some potentially beneficial approaches include:

• Acupuncture for pain relief and stress reduction
• Herbal supplements like ginger or chasteberry for menstrual symptoms
• Yoga or tai chi for gentle exercise and stress management
• Aromatherapy with essential oils like lavender for relaxation

It’s important to consult with a healthcare provider before starting any new treatment or supplement regimen, especially if you have underlying health conditions or are taking other medications.

The Importance of Tracking Your Menstrual Symptoms

One of the most effective ways to manage period fatigue and identify potential underlying issues is to track your menstrual symptoms consistently. How can keeping a menstrual diary benefit your health?

Benefits of Menstrual Tracking

• Helps identify patterns in your menstrual cycle and associated symptoms
• Provides valuable information for healthcare providers in case of concerns
• Allows you to predict and prepare for periods of increased fatigue
• Helps in recognizing changes that might indicate underlying health issues
• Can assist in planning activities and managing energy levels throughout your cycle

What to Track

When keeping a menstrual diary, consider recording the following information:

• Start and end dates of your period
• Flow intensity (light, moderate, heavy)
• Energy levels throughout your cycle
• Mood changes
• Physical symptoms like cramps, bloating, or breast tenderness
• Sleep patterns
• Diet and exercise habits

Many smartphone apps are available to help track menstrual symptoms, making it easier than ever to monitor your menstrual health.

Empowering Women Through Menstrual Health Education

Understanding your menstrual cycle and recognizing what’s normal for your body is crucial for overall health and well-being. How can we promote better menstrual health education?

Breaking the Stigma

Open conversations about menstruation are essential for breaking down stigma and ensuring women have access to the information and support they need. This includes:

• Encouraging frank discussions about menstrual health in schools and healthcare settings
• Promoting accurate, science-based information about menstruation and related health issues
• Challenging myths and misconceptions about periods
• Advocating for policies that support menstrual health and hygiene

Promoting Self-Advocacy

Empowering women to advocate for their menstrual health is crucial. This involves:

• Encouraging women to speak up about their symptoms and concerns
• Teaching the importance of regular check-ups and open communication with healthcare providers
• Providing resources for further education on menstrual health
• Supporting initiatives that improve access to menstrual health care and products

By promoting education and open dialogue about menstrual health, we can help ensure that women have the knowledge and confidence to manage their periods effectively and seek help when needed.

Why You Should Not Ignore Tiredness during Your Period

09 July 2019    by – Dr Demetri C Panayi

Feeling fatigued and tired is a common occurrence that can be a direct impact of excessive physical activity, lack of sleep, unhealthy eating habits, or a side effect of some types of medication. Although most of these causes can be controlled and avoided, tiredness during the weeks leading up to (PMS) and during your period may be caused by an underlying health issue.

Many women suffer from menorrhagia, which is more commonly known as heavy periods. Around 1 in 3 women will seek treatment for the issue.

If heavy bleeding is interfering with your everyday life, you shouldn’t ignore it, as your body could be telling you there is something seriously wrong.

When Is a Period Heavy?

Throughout your menstrual cycle, the degree of menstrual bleeding differs from woman to woman; a period can be considered ‘heavy” when the following symptoms occur:

• At least one sanitary towel or tampon is soaked through each hour
• A pad and a tampon is used at the same time
• Waking up in the night to change sanitary product
• Bleeding for more than a week
• Large blood clots
• Normal day-to-day activities are affected

Extreme Tiredness May Be An Underlying Medical Condition

Heavy menstrual bleeding often causes women to feel tired, commonly known as period fatigue. This is normal due to the decrease in oestrogen levels, which occurs around this point in your menstrual cycle. Your energy levels will usually return to normal within a few days as your hormone levels begin to increase again. However, for some women, period fatigue and mood swings may last longer and be more extreme. Some women may experience pre-menstrual symptoms and find themselves completely sluggish and unable to properly carry out routine activities, signifying something more severe.

This should be investigated as there could, in fact, be a medical reason or underlining gynaecological conditions as to why your energy levels are low and you feel so fatigued during your period. You may generally be a person whose periods cause them to feel more tired than others, or you might have an underlying medical issue like anaemia or an underactive thyroid. The important point to make is that you should never ignore extreme menstrual fatigue.

Premenstrual syndrome

A few women will experience a combination of symptoms in a predictable pattern before their period. Premenstrual syndrome describes extreme changes in physical and emotional health that appear before the onset of your period and persist for a few days after it starts. Whilst PMS some symptoms are similar to those experienced during a period, their severity significantly interrupts everyday life and creates physical and mental suffering.

Even though the precise cause of premenstrual syndrome is unknown, research points to hormone shifts, pre-existing mental health issues, and particular lifestyle variables as significant factors. Premenstrual dysphoric disorder is the term used to describe very severe types of premenstrual syndrome, which need for further medical care.

Iron Deficiency Anaemia

The most common cause of iron deficiency anaemia is menorrhagia since there is often a significant amount of blood loss. The symptoms of iron deficiency anaemia include tiredness, pale skin, shortness of breath and heart palpitations during your menstrual cycles.

A diagnosis can be given after carrying out a full blood test to determine whether the number of red blood cells is within the normal range. If diagnosed with iron deficiency anaemia, your doctor will normally advise you to take iron supplements and improve your diet to increase the amount of iron-rich foods you eat; to compensate for the loss of nutrients during heavy periods.

Where heavy periods are the reason for your anaemia, medication is typically prescribed by your GP. There are several treatment options available for menorrhagia, and these will vary from patient to patient depending on several factors, including severity, medical history and lifestyle. Where medication is ineffective, surgical treatment may be recommended.

Hypothyroidism and Hyperthyroidism

The thyroid is a small butterfly-shaped gland found in the neck, the function of which is to produce hormones to regulate the metabolism of your body naturally.

Some women who experience extreme period fatigue and tiredness may find that they have an underactive thyroid, which means your thyroid is not producing enough hormones. Symptoms include feeling exhausted and wanting to sleep all the time even if you have had a full ‘night’s rest. Other common symptoms include weight gain and feelings of depression. Around 15 in 1000, women in the UK will suffer from hypothyroidism.

The opposite might occur where the thyroid is overactive and produces an excess of certain hormones; this is called hyperthyroidism.

Your GP can determine if you have a thyroid problem by carrying out a thyroid function test, taking a blood sample to measure hormone levels. If diagnosed, hormone replacement tablets are prescribed and should be taken daily, with blood tests being carried out regularly to monitor hormone levels.

Period Fatigue Recommendations

If you are experiencing heavy periods or extreme period fatigue, ensure that you see your GP or a private gynaecologist to outline whether it is due to any underlying health issues or not.

Some ways to combat the feeling of tiredness during your period include drinking plenty of water to avoid dehydration, improving sleep quality by getting at least 8 hours of sleep, and doing some physical activity or exercise – as it is the best fighter of period fatigue.

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Why Am I So Tired During My Period?

Why Am I So Tired During My Period?

Periods tend to bring on a slew of unwanted symptoms, outside of the obviously unwelcome bleeding. Lower energy levels are one of them, and when paired with cramps, they can really put a damper on your day. Period (or PMS) fatigue can make you want to crawl back into bed, turn on Netflix and reach for your favorite comfort food – but that’s not necessarily the best plan to help you get through it. Let’s talk about why your energy levels tank during your time of the month, and how you can learn to combat fatigue and power through.

What’s the Deal? 

During the second half of the menstrual cycle, around the time women start experiencing symptoms of PMS, estrogen levels peak and then fall quickly – causing you to feel tired or sluggish. In the last week (during your period), estrogen levels will continue to fall, carrying this unpleasant feeling through the end of your cycle. ¹

Other culprits could be iron deficiency related to your period, stress, unhealthy eating habits, or the obvious answer, lack of sleep. The CDC recommends more than 7 hours of sleep each night² – so if you’re getting less than that, more sleep might be the key to a more manageable time of the month.

If your flow feels abnormally heavy, or you have symptoms that just feel like they have to be something more, it’s possible there are other reasons at play too, like uterine fibroids or abnormal uterine bleeding (AUB). These are known causes of heavy menstrual bleeding that could cause some of the symptoms mentioned above. And the fact is, they’re also pretty common. 70% of women have uterine fibroids, and 80% of African American women will develop fibroids by the age of 50.³ However, not all women experience fibroid symptoms, which include stomach and pelvic pain, anemia, frequent urination and other debilitating symptoms that could lead to physical exhaustion, which makes it even more important to talk to your doctor if you feel like you’re experiencing an unusually heavy flow. ⁴  

What Can I Do? 

Your first instinct for dealing with period fatigue may be to close your eyes again, but that might only make the situation worse. Physical activity can actually increase your energy levels and boost your mood. Try taking on a new workout with a friend to help keep your energy up or keep track of your physical activity in a fitness journal. Hormonal birth control can help to regulate these hormones, and while your hormones will still rise and fall, the symptoms may be less noticeable, just be sure to talk to your doctor before taking a hormonal therapy.¹ Also, we know sluggishness and cramps can make you crave those salty and sweet treats – but be sure to eat nutritious foods and drink plenty of water during your period. Dehydration is a common contributor to low energy levels, so make sure you are tracking your water intake too.

What if it’s Not That Easy? 

Extreme fatigue, pain, or heavy bleeding during your period that causes you to stay home and skip out on daily activities could indicate something more serious. If you’re experiencing extremely low energy levels in addition to other symptoms, like heavy or prolonged bleeding, symptomatic uterine fibroids or AUB could be the underlying conditions causing these symptoms and that low-energy feeling. 

Luckily, there are some treatment options to consider with your doctor if some of the more holistic recommendations haven’t worked for you and the symptoms of your period are affecting your quality of life. For example, medical procedures such as, intra-uterine tissue removal procedures and laparoscopic radiofrequency ablation, both of which require little to no incisions, are treatment options for women experiencing the disruptive symptoms of fibroids. Furthermore, there are other safe and effective options for women who are finished having children. For more information and to learn more, check out the resources listed below: 

Laparoscopic Radiofrequency Ablation (Lap-RFA)

Lap-RFA is a minimally invasive procedure that delivers heat directly into a fibroid in order to destroy its tissue and relieve symptoms. It addresses fibroids in most locations and may provide relief from heavy periods and bloating symptoms.⁵ The procedure recovery time varies but is most frequently between 4-5 days.⁶

Intra-uterine Tissue Removal

An intra-uterine tissue removal procedure is a uterine sparing procedure that removes fibroids, polyps and other intrauterine tissue. The typically outpatient procedure is minimally invasive and is administered through the body’s natural openings (i.e. through the vagina).⁷ 

Endometrial Ablation

Endometrial ablation is a one-time, five-minute procedure that can safely and effectively reduce or eliminate heavy menstrual bleeding. The minimally invasive procedure removes the uterine lining and is appropriate for women who are finished with childbearing and desire relief from heavy bleeding.⁸ 

Talk to an OBGYN in your area about your symptoms of abnormal uterine bleeding and potential treatment options that might be right for you.

References

1. Physical activity and your menstrual cycle. Office on Women’s Health. U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. https://www.womenshealth.gov/getting-active/physical-activity-menstrual-cycle.
2. “How Much Sleep Do I Need?” Sleep and Sleep Disorders. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/sleep/about_sleep/how_much_sleep.html.
3. Baird DD, Dunson DB, Hill MV, Cousins D, Schechtman JM. High cumulative incidence of uterine leiomyoma in black and white women: ultrasound evidence. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2003; 188:100—107.
4. Mayo Clinic—Uterine Fibroids—www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/uterine-fibroids/symptoms-causes/syc-20354288
5. Acessa ProVu Instructions for Use, ProVu Users Guide PL-01-0040
6. SG Chudnoff, et al. Outpatient Procedure for the Treatment and Relief of Symptomatic Uterine Myomas. Obstetrics and Gynecology, 2013;121(5):1075-82.
7. McIlwaine P, McElhinney B, Karthigasu KA, Hart R, A Prospective Study of the Use of the MyoSure Resectoscope to Manage Endometrial Polyps in an Outpatient Setting. The Australian and New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. October 2015.
8. NovaSure Instructions for Use.

Hypomenorrhea or scanty periods – treatment in Kyiv

Monthly bleeding from the vagina is a natural consequence of cyclic hormonal changes in a woman’s body. A condition where menstruation also occurs regularly, but with scanty blood flow, is considered a gynecological disorder and requires treatment. Hypomenorrhea – this is the name of this pathology, characterized by a decrease in the volume of menstrual blood by 20% or more compared to normal menstruation.

Doctors of the Gynecology Department of the Center “Meddiagnostics”.

Lyudmila Ivanovna Mokhon

Obstetrician-gynecologist, ultrasound diagnostician

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Normal menstruation is considered to be bleeding occurring within 3-7 days with a blood loss of 20 ml to 60 ml per day. Scanty menstruation is a process that lasts up to 2 days with blood loss of less than 20 ml per day.

Classification of hypomenorrhea and its consequences

Taking into account the duration and volume of menstruation, hypomenstrual syndrome is classified as follows:

• oligomenorrhea – the physiological process lasts 1-2 days;
• opsomenorrhea – menstruation became scarce, and the interval between them increased from 35 days to 3 months;
• hypomenorrhea – rare, short and scanty menstruation.

If uncorrected, hypomenorrhea leads to the decline of reproductive function, as a result of which a woman cannot become pregnant and carry a child normally until delivery.

What causes scanty periods

If the color of the menstrual blood is normal, the menses come on time, and the woman feels satisfactory, this condition is not a disease. If, in addition to meager discharge, other symptoms are present, the situation is considered pathological.

Important! Hypomenorrhea can be a signal of the development of a serious gynecological or endocrine disease in the patient’s body.

Answering the question: why meager periods, it is necessary to highlight several main reasons.

1. Violation of the function of the thyroid gland, which produces the hormone thyroxine, without which normal menstruation and conception are impossible.
2. Dystrophy or obesity. With a deficiency of fat in the body, the synthesis of estrogens slows down. Excess body weight leads to an excessive increase in the amount of female sex hormones, and they begin to dominate over progesterone, which is also involved in the regulation of the menstrual cycle.
3. Avitaminosis, anemia. A lack of vitamins in the body leads to a decrease in the synthesis of hormones and a deficiency of hemoglobin, which leads to poor discharge during menstruation. Against the background of hypomenorrhoea, provoked by beriberi, painful sensations appear in the lower abdomen, and infertility develops.
4. Congenital anomalies in the structure of the uterus, complicated childbirth, surgical interventions, including curettage, are also the causes of meager periods.

In medical practice, there are many cases when scanty menstruation became the first signal of a developing neuropsychiatric disorder.

Symptoms of hypomenorrhea

In addition to the fact that menstruation is scanty, other symptoms of hypomenorrhea are also characteristic:

• unnatural color of menstrual flow – from light brown to almost black;
• headache;
• nausea;
• general weakness;
• intestinal disorders;
• soreness in the lumbar region;
• spastic uterine contractions.

Some women complain of severe nosebleeds that disappear when menstruation stops. Another unpleasant sign of hypomenstrual syndrome is a decrease in sexual desire, lack of orgasm.

However, hypomenorrhea can occur without additional symptoms and without any complications other than impaired fertility. If a woman does not plan to have more children, apart from infertility, this condition does not threaten her with anything. In premenopausal women, hypomenorrhea is considered a normal phenomenon, which only indicates the beginning of a cardinal restructuring in the body.

For patients of reproductive age, whose plans include the birth of a child, it is unacceptable to ignore meager periods. Timely treatment will help a woman find the happiness of motherhood.

Methods for the treatment of scanty periods

Therapeutic measures depend on the factors that triggered the hypomenstrual syndrome. If the cause lies in a gynecological disease, the gynecologist is engaged in the treatment of the patient. Hypomenorrhea against the background of hormonal disorders is treated by a gynecologist-endocrinologist. Factors of a psychological nature are eliminated with the assistance of a psychologist, and sometimes a psychiatrist. Scanty periods caused by tuberculosis infection are treated by a gynecologist and a phthisiatrician. In case of obesity and dystrophy, the patient is simultaneously led by a dietitian.

Depending on the severity of hypomenorrhoea, its treatment can be conservative and surgical. Surgical intervention is aimed at eliminating adhesive processes. Conservative treatment consists in a course of taking drugs: hormonal, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and attending physiotherapy sessions. Vitamin preparations are aimed at filling the deficiency of minerals.

Whatever the causes of hypomenorrhea, the doctors of our diagnostic and treatment center will select an effective therapeutic regimen suitable for a particular case. Prices for services at the Meddiagnostika clinic are available for all segments of the population and are indicated in the price list.

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Vacation for women during menstruation: something bothers you?

• Claire Lampin
• BBC Capital

December 23, 2017

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Image caption,

Up to 20% of women experience such severe pain during their periods that they are simply unable to work these days

so-called critical days. But what should those rights be? And why do many consider such an innovation inappropriate?

Bex Baxter got really scared when she walked into the office one day and saw her secretary doubled over in pain. “She was pale as a sheet and at the same time tried to explain something to the visitor.”

“I wanted to immediately release her from work that day,” Baxter (then director of the company) recalls. “But she was very embarrassed and jokingly tried to drive me away with the words “it’s just critical days, I can handle it.”

Before That day, it never even occurred to Baxter to include in the corporate policy of her Bristol-based company Coexist a clause on women’s rights on so-called critical days.0003

But at that moment she thought about fundamental human rights and that the normal physiological process is not something to be ashamed of.

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Menstrual leave , a couple of days off for those women who have particularly painful periods already exists in several countries, but is widely criticized as unproductive and sometimes only reinforces ingrained stereotypes that women workers are nothing but problems.

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Image caption,

Many women experience severe pain on such days, but the inertia of society prevents the problem from being solved once and for all

In a number of Asian countries, including Japan, Indonesia, Taiwan, and South Korea and some Chinese provinces, women are allowed to stay at home for a certain number of days during their period.

However, few use this right, fearing ridicule or not wanting to appear weak.

And when the Italian parliament considered introducing menstruation leave nationwide in March, many voiced a very real concern: what if a worker’s right to take three days of paid leave once a month would cause employers to stop hiring women?

Taboo subject

Society’s inertia towards the menstrual period, the idea of ​​menstruation as something dirty, shameful, something that is indecent to mention – all this can keep girls and women at home on such days.

If there is a room at work where a woman can change her pads, in many cases it is impossible for her to leave the workplace without the risk of being reprimanded by her boss, if not losing her job.

• Contraceptives: a faithful assistant or a cunning traitor?
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Even those women who work in offices with convenient toilets and a schedule that allows them to leave at any moment usually do everything so that no one notices that they have their periods.

How does the office usually react when an employee is menstruating? There are few studies on this topic.

One of them, conducted in 2002, showed that a woman with a tampon is perceived as less competent, less attractive, and even physically repulsive.

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In 2002, an experiment was conducted on women who had a tampon fall out of their purse. They were treated worse than those who dropped their hair clip

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Women make up almost 40% of the global labor market, and up to 20% of them experience such severe pain during their periods that they are simply unable to work these days.

Medically this is called dysmenorrhea and symptoms include nausea, vomiting, headache, etc. For these women, menstrual leave would be an option, as long as it doesn’t affect how they are treated at work and their careers. What can be done here?

“Corporate businesses need to rethink and rethink menstruation and allow women to be women without the stigma,” said Baxter, who left Coexist but remains its consultant on employee rights.

The stigma mentioned makes women suffer in silence. According to a 2016 BBC-commissioned survey, more than half of the women who took part said that menstrual pain interfered with work.

And only 27% do not feel discomfort if it is necessary to tell the boss what is happening to them.

You can get rid of unspoken taboos by openly discussing taboo topics. It is only important that this does not lead to a worsening of the position of women in the workplace.

“It’s not a disease”

How exactly a company can achieve a new attitude towards women’s rights depends on its size and structure, but there are some common important points.

First, our language, the words we use, says Lara Owen, Women’s Health Workplace Consultant and Lecturer at the Monash Business School in Melbourne, Australia.

“The term “menstruation leave” has an undesirable meaning – for those people who have never experienced the torment of “critical days”, it can cause completely inadequate associations. ”

For example: “these women are getting leave for something that is not really a problem.” Instead of “period leave,” Owen prefers to use words that convey a different meaning: to ease the working conditions for those who have to spend their periods in the office, and not just send them home for a few days.

Photo copyright Lara Owen

Photo caption

The term “period leave” has an undesirable connotation, says Lara Owen. rules that seem to make life easier for women can backfire.

She suggests removing gender from this situation altogether so that dysmenorrhea sufferers can get the “sick days” they need.

“Offer flexible vacation arrangements for everyone in your organization so people can take a few days off when they’re not feeling well, for whatever reason,” says King.

“Then everyone is put on an equal footing. While the rules that single out a certain group of employees as in need of additional care, that is, consider them as obviously weaker, have the potential for negative consequences. They only reinforce existing gender stereotypes” .

And yet, if one of the purposes of introducing “menstrual leave” is to get rid of taboos, why should one be afraid of the word “menstruation”?

This is not a disease, emphasizes Lara Owen. On the contrary, the regularity of her cycle indicates health.

Flexibility in terms of leave is important, says Owen. And it makes sense to indicate monthly in the list of good reasons why the company provides vacation.

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“To be bold, bold and proud is the way to get rid of rigidity,” says Lisa Schektman, director of strategy and outreach at WaterAid America.

It won’t happen quickly, but women need to be involved, she stresses.

Bex Baxter is now helping his former company Coexist develop new internal rules for women and their menstrual cycle.

According to her, employees will be offered flexible options for how they can manage their working time during the period of menstruation.