Hot water bottles, paracetomal, ibuprofen, the foetal position - you can now feel justified in using all of these at once as new studies reveal the true nature of period pain for some women.
Professor of reproductive health at UCL, John Guillebaud, has claimed that cramping can be as ‘bad as having a heart attack’, and has said that Doctors are finally starting to realise the remarkable lack of research going into period pain.
Well hoorah for that. It's not famously a barrell of laughs for anyone, but this level of serious period pain, officially termed Dysmenorrhea, interferes with the daily lives of around one in five women. That's about one in every Whatsapp group.
Most women suffer from cramps caused by contractions of the uterus, but for some this pain is further compounded by the release of prostaglandins, hormones which can cause inflammation, fever and blood clotting. It's about time this pain is getting recognition. Speaking to Quartzmagazine, Guillebaud said that 'Men don’t get it and it hasn’t been given the centrality it should have. I do believe it’s something that should be taken care of, like anything else in medicine.'
Three cheers for Guillebaud! Someone to quote if you ever find your time of the month being unfairly dismissed again.
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This article originally appeared on The Debrief.